Forever Silent
by FairDrea
Summary: When a leggy Al Bhed with flashing gray eyes and a disarming smile is recruited to play for the Aurochs Wakka doesn't know what to think. Will he stay firm in his hatred for the Al Bhed, or let his fast growing attraction for her change his views and quit
1. Prologue

Forever Silent  
Disclaimer: I own nothing of Final Fantasy 10. Not blitzball, not the fiends, nothin'. The original character, Kenzi, however is mine.  
Prologue  
  
Two people sat on a beach bathed in moonlight, the white sand sparkling like tiny crystals around them. They were yards apart, yet both were completely unaware of each other; much too consumed with their own troubled thoughts to realize they were not alone. Or maybe they just didn't care.  
  
Up on a hill, shrouded by the islands dense foliage, a young couple watched the man and woman on the beach with interest.  
  
"Don't you think he'll be upset when he finds out what you've done?" asked the young woman, her face concealed in shadow.  
  
"Yeah, but it's a risk I'm willing to take. You saw how good she was. I just can't believe they let her go." The young man shrugged and wrapped his arms around his companion. "Their loss. Besides." he paused and watched the two people on the beach get to their feet and walk off in separate directions across the sand. "They might be good for each other."  
  
Turning in his arms, the young woman stared up at him and saw her own feelings of hope mirrored in his clear blue eyes. Maybe this new comer would be exactly what their friend needed to pull himself out of his current slump.  
  
"I hope you're right." She said with a sad smile, and then she turned and led the way back into the small town of Besaid. 


	2. Meeting The Team

Forever Silent  
Disclaimer: Still own nothing. I would like to be able to just say "hey, that goes for the rest of the story!" but I'm too scared!! Lol, afraid they might remove my fic. Lol.and some call me paranoid. I really have no clue what they're talking about.  
Meeting The Team  
  
Tidus turned over onto his side, still mostly asleep and wrapped his arm around Yuna's sleeping form, pulling her snuggly against him. He smiled. Even though it has been close to three months, he still couldn't believe he was alive. But they had promised him. Lord and Lady Braska, Lord Jyscal, Auron.even his own father. They had all promised him that this time he would not be just a dream. Thanks to his friends on the Farplane and Yuna's constant whistling, Tidus was back for good.  
  
Yuna made a small sound and stretched like a cat. "Good morning." She murmured in that soothing musical voice that Tidus loved so much. He grunted a response and buried his head in the crook of her neck, drawing forth a tired giggle from Yuna. "I love you." He whispered.  
  
Yuna flipped over to face him, running her hands up and through his shaggy blonde hair. "And I love you, Tidus." They shared a gentle kiss, both lingering over their last few minutes they had left to sit in bed. Tidus pulled away and smiled down at the beautiful woman he had come to love so deeply. "Got to get up hun. I bet Wakka's gonna come bustin' in here any minute now."  
  
Tidus stood up and walked across the small hut to where his shorts lay in a rumpled heap on the floor. Pulling on a clean pair of boxers, Tidus put his dark gray shorts on over them and turned back to Yuna who was still lying in bed. He watched her sit up slowly with a seductive smile, watched the sheet slide from her bare shoulder and pool around her waist, and he heard her silent plea for him to join her. He'd be insane to turn down an offer like that!  
  
He made a running leap and landed halfway on top of Yuna, smiling as her light laughter filled the room. Their moment of privacy was interrupted though, by the sound of feet approaching, possibly the soles of sandals slapping against stone. Tidus held his finger to his lips and listened.  
  
"Hey man! You in there?" a voice shouted from outside.  
  
There was barley enough time to yank on disregarded clothing and hide Yuna under the blankets before the cloth door to the hut flew open. Tidus groaned as harsh sunlight flooded the room and momentarily blinded him. A tall, muscular man with bright amber eyes, a lop sided smirk and short spiky red hair, several long strands of which stuck straight up from underneath a thick blue headband like an unruly cowlick loomed in the opening to the hut. He wore his usual Besaid Aurochs uniform which consisted of baggy yellow, chap-like pants that cuffed below the knee and were worn over dark blue shorts and a short yellow vest patterned with blue crosses that was cut down the middle, exposing a washboard stomach.  
  
"Outta bed, man. We got a lot of stuff to do today, ya?' Wakka said, yanking him out of bed and into a not-so-playful headlock.  
  
"Ack.hey, come on! Don't you.think you're.getting a little.to old for this?" Tidus choked out. He pulled himself free and stumbled backwards. "You could at least let me find my shirt first!"  
  
Wakka laughed and slapped him hard on the back almost knocking him over. Tidus turned and glared at the older man. "Sorry 'bout that." Wakka said. "I'm just excited, you know?"  
  
Tidus nodded and walked back to the bed where his shirt hung, draped over the headboard. He tried not to laugh at the startled wide eyes, one green, and one blue that peeked up at him over the edge of the blankets. He grabbed his shirt, gave Yuna a quick kiss on her forehead and turned back to Wakka, pulling his hooded yellow shirt over his head.  
  
"Don't forget this." Wakka threw him his blitz bag. "Ready?"  
  
After a quick scan of the room, Tidus nodded again. They walked outside into the late morning sunlight.  
  
"You sure you're not forgettin' anything?" Wakka asked.  
  
"Yeah." Tidus said at length, looking up at his friend.  
  
Wakka shrugged. "Alright then. See ya on da ship, Yuna!" he yelled over his shoulder. At Tidus' shocked expression, Wakka just said. "You two are about as sneaky as a hyper chocobo." And with that he laughed and took off across the beach to where the remaining team members of the Besaid Aurochs stood, waiting for practice to begin.  
  
"Man, it's going to be one of those days." Tidus grumbled.  
  
Several minutes later, Tidus and Wakka sat on a bench that had been pulled out onto the beach. Tidus was lacing up his shoes and Wakka was staring off into the wide blue ocean.  
  
"This one last practice before the tournament.it's a good idea. Wish I would have thought of it when I was capn' ya?" Wakka said.  
  
Tidus looked thoughtfully at his friend. "Well.how would you like to be the captain for the rest of the season?" he asked. The idea settled well with him, so he knew that handing over leadership to Wakka was the right thing to do.  
  
Wakka stared at Tidus with his mouth agape. "You serious?"  
  
"Yeah! I could be like.a back up captain. Come on Wakka, you deserve this."  
  
Wakka scratched his head. "Nah. You the cap'n now. I don't this it'd be right, ya?" The red haired man looked back out over the water.  
  
Tidus shook his head. "Wakka, quit being so stubborn. You know you want this. Besides, I think it's a good idea."  
  
Wakka threw a skeptical look in Tidus' direction, but as he rubbed his chin he appeared to be considering his offer. "Alright." he said after a moment of silence. "I'll do it."  
  
Tidus smiled. "Great." Tidus clapped Wakka on the shoulder and turned to leave when he saw something out of the corner of his eye. His smile slowly turned into an uncomfortable grimace. Wakka was going to kill him.  
  
"We do this on one condition though." He said cautiously.  
  
"Yeah? And what's that?" Wakka asked, his eyes narrowing.  
  
"That every decision I made as captain stays."  
  
"Deal." Wakka said, then added, "why?" Noticing that Tidus was staring at something behind him, Wakka turned around and his eyes landed on a pair of the longest legs he had ever seen. He let his gaze travel appreciatively up the strong, deeply tanned limbs, gently flared hips, trim waist, and ample chest. Quickly scanning her flawless features he smiled at the careless way the woman's strawberry blonde hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail, designed so that wisps of hair fanned out every direction and the longer wavy strands hung to the base of her slender neck. Tiny braids criss- crossed over her scalp and disappeared into the ponytail. The effect was adorable.  
  
Tidus watched his friend and had to bite down on his lip to keep from laughing. The older man was too busy noticing everything about the woman, everything except who she actually was. Maybe Tidus had lucked out. "Then again.maybe not." He muttered quietly to himself. Wakka's expression had gone from interested, to confused, to slightly hostile. He knew.  
  
Kenzi, one of the top Blitzball players in Spira, had appeared out of nowhere at the beginning of the league season. The leggy blonde had proven herself well, scoring a majority of the goals for the Al Bhed Psyches. When they had let her go, Tidus had been the first to find out. He'd hired her on the spot and she had happily agreed. Now he wasn't sure he had made the right decision.  
  
Fixing the smile back on his face, Tidus waved to Kenzi and she trotted over pushing her sunglasses back onto her head. "Nice island you got here!" she said when she had reached them.  
  
"Glad you like it. The rest of the team is down on the beach. Why don't you go say hi? We'll be right behind you." Tidus motioned down the hill to where shouts could be heard from the team.  
  
"Sure." She started to walk away. "Oh.Tidus?" she called, spinning back around.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Thanks for recruiting me."  
  
"No problem." Tidus said. He watched Kenzi disappear down the hill, feeling reluctant to face his friend again.  
  
"Mind tellin' me what the hell that was all about?" Wakka asked.  
  
Tidus laughed uncomfortably. "That? Oh, that was Kenzi. She's kind of.um.well, you see.I recruited her." He managed to stutter out.  
  
"You recruited her?! An Al Bhed?!" Wakka shouted.  
  
Tidus backed away from his irate friend, holding his hands out in front of him defensively. "Com on Wakka, calm down. I had to recruit her. Letty just had a kid. He's out for the rest of the season. I needed another forward. The Al Bhed's dropped her Wakka. She won most of their games for them and they dropped her. I couldn't pass up an opportunity to have someone that good." Wakka's gaze remained hard, his blue eyes glittering with anger. "Besides, she's tough and she's as devoted to the game as you are. Give her a chance."  
  
"She's an Al Bhed."  
  
Tidus shook hi head. How could someone be so damn stubborn? "So is Rikku," he pointed out.  
  
"That's different," the red headed man grumbled.  
  
"It's not and you know it," Tidus said, turning and walking down the beach to where the other team members were waiting to start practice. Except they needed a captain and he was no longer the captain. "By the way, you might want to hurry up Wakka. The team's kind of waiting on you," he threw over his shoulder as he walked.  
  
He was tired of Wakka's prejudice towards the Al Bhed's. Sure, the man had his reasons to dislike them but after Rikku, finding out Yuna was part Al Bhed, and fighting beside them when they had battled Sin, Tidus really thought he would have put the past aside. Obviously he hadn't. 'Oh well,' he thought. It wasn't his problem it was Wakka's. He just hoped the guy would figure things out and let go of his anger for good.  
  
Up on the hill, Wakka watched Tidus' retreating back with a frown. "It is different," he muttered softly, hoping the words would sound convincing. But they didn't and that was a bad thing. Tidus thought he was mad that he had to play on the same team as an Al Bhed. It was good that he thought that but it wasn't the reason. Wakka had actually come to terms with his hatred for the Al Bhed. As long as they didn't directly interfere with his life, he was fine. Yuna and Rikku were the only exceptions to that. Yuna because she was like a little sister to him and Rikku because she was related to Yuna and had, for the most part, left him alone. But this new Al Bhed, she was a problem.  
  
The reason? Because despite the fact that she was an Al Bhed..he was still strongly attracted to her and that made him mad. Mad at her, mad at himself, even mad at his way-too-optimistic friend Tidus. And not only did the unexpected attraction anger him, it also made him feel guilty. He was with Lulu now.kind of. At least he thought he was. It was complicated.  
  
Muttering a string of curses, each one worse then the one before it, Wakka trudged down the beach to join his team. The only thing he could really do was try and avoid her. Had he been paying attention he would have been able to do just that but he wasn't and the cause for his troubles slammed right into him before he even noticed her.  
  
He opened his mouth to yell at her just as she turned to face him, a blitzball clutched in her hands, her high cheekbones flushed and cool gray eyes that held of hint of distain staring up at him. Suddenly he forgot what he was going to say.  
  
"Hi. I'm Kenzi," she said in a smoky voice that made his head swim.  
  
'It's not her fault she's an Al Bhed,' he thought. Not her fault that he felt like this. Not her fault, not her fault, not her fault. "I'm-."  
  
"Wakka. I know," she interrupted, giving him a delectable smirk. "You're the Al Bhed hating captain of the Besaid Aurochs with the unique stroke, weird hair and wicked stubbornness."  
  
At least it wasn't her fault until she opened her damn mouth. Wakka glared down at the infuriating woman. "You're lucky Tidus made me promise not to change any of his decisions or I'd be throwin' ya out on that scrawny ass of yours."  
  
Kenzi placed her fists on her hips, her silvery gray eyes flashing dangerously. Even at her full height she still only came to his chin. "Well, you're lucky I even decided to join this sorry excuse for a team, especially when it's run by a captain like you. But from what I've seen you guys are in need of some serious help and I've always thought of myself as a charitable person."  
  
Wakka's hands itched to strangle the little hellcat and he would have too if Tidus hadn't come jogging up and intervened.  
  
"Hey guys. I see you've met," the platinum blonde said, glancing nervously between the two. "Uhh..Wakka, I think the guys want a word with you. We'll be right back Kenzi." He said, pulling Wakka away.  
  
Once they were at a safe distance Kenzi drew an unsteady breath and let her trembling arms drop to her side. God, what had possessed her to say things like that to him? She almost felt sick. Here she was, meeting the man she had admired from afar for years and the first thing she did was insult him!  
  
"Way to make a first impression Kenzi," she murmured as she bent over to pick up the blitzball she had dropped during her stand off with the large Auroch captain. She could still remember the first time she has laid eyes on him. It had been her first time in the Blitzball arena. She had been there with her father and mother to support her brother and his team as they went up against the Besaid Aurochs. Immediately she forgot her intentions when the muscular red head swam into the sphere. All day she had silently cheered for his team as her father had loudly booed them. When the game was over and her father and mother had gone off to celebrate with her friends, she had gone in search of him.  
  
She had found him sitting on a dock, in the middle of a heated conversation with a younger man who slightly resembled him. They had been talking about Sin and machina. The younger man had stood, muttered something under his breath and stormed off.  
  
Kenzi watched wide-eyed as Wakka sighed, pulled off the thick blue headband he always wore and buried his head in his hands. She wanted to go to him, comfort him, but her legs would not cooperate. So she just stood there, hidden behind a stack of wooden crates, watching him. That had been years ago when she was sixteen. Then Sin had come and everything had changed.  
  
Now she was twenty-two, hardened from years of solitude, yet she still held feelings for him.  
  
~He can never know ~ whispered the rough voice of the evil that had been haunting her mind since all of the death had begun. ~ Knowledge leads to heartbreak and you know what happens then. Your will is then mine to command and by your hands all of Spira will die. ~  
  
"No," Kenzi whispered, shaking her head. The voice laughed at her, mocking her and telling her that she was not strong enough to stop it.  
  
"I am strong," she said in an anguished voice. "I am."  
  
"Kenzi?"  
  
She jerked her head up. Tidus stared at her with worried blue eyes and an unsure smile. "Are you okay? You look kind of pale."  
  
Kenzi brushed her bangs out of her face, forcing a smile to her face. "Yeah. I'm fine. Just zoned out for a second. Are we starting practice?"  
  
"Yup," Tidus said. He wasn't at all convinced by her overly cheerful mood but he wasn't about to pry into the life of someone he hardly knew. "For and hour. Then we board the ship for the tournament. You ready to show these guys what you've got?"  
  
Kenzi laughed, following Tidus across the beach. "I don't think these guys are ready for what I've got." 


	3. Ship Encounters

*Disclaimer: I own pretty much nothing. Thank you to everyone who reviewed. It means so much to me. You don't even know! Lol, well, you probably do if you're fellow authors. Mistix, totally agree with you that Wakka should have had a bigger part. And before I forget, big thanks go out to my honey Echo, who spent hours with me editing this fic and helping me put it all together. Thank you so much Echo. Now on to the fic.  
*~*~*Ship Encounters*~*~*  
Sitting on the bed in his cabin, leaning against the wall with one leg stretched out over the side and the other one bent at the knee, his sandaled foot propped up against the edge of the mattress Wakka listened to the gentle slap of the waves against the ships side, thinking of Kenzi. After seeing her at practice he now grudgingly admitted to himself that she was defiantly skilled when it came to blitzball. He would even give her credit for acting like their little fight had never happened and listening to his instructions. But he was still pissed at her.  
  
She may have had an amazing figure, long slender legs, gorgeous silvery gray eyes and a smile that could melt even the most cold hearted man, not to mention the ability to turn his entire team into a bunch of bumbling idiots, but that didn't change the fact that he was angry. He snatched up the blitzball lying next to him on the bed and hurled it at the wall. "Damn females."  
  
A knock sounded at the door and Tidus poked his head in. "Hey. Mind if I come in?"  
  
Wakka only shrugged. Rolling his eyes Tidus entered the small room, closing the door behind him. "So," he said, sitting down next to Wakka. "She's not half bad, huh?"  
  
"Speak for yourself," Wakka muttered.  
  
"Come on man, you're really not being fair. I know she's an Al Bhed and everything but she still deserves a chance. Especially from you. You're her captain." Tidus looked hopefully at his sulking friend, trying not to laugh at how much he resembled a pouting child. "Just go talk to her. She's right across the hall. It wouldn't hurt you to tell her you're sorry about commenting on throwing her out on her scrawny ass."  
  
Wakka's brows shot up and he stared at Tidus in disbelief.  
  
"You guys were talking pretty loud. We all heard it."  
  
Crossing his arms over his chest, Wakka went right back to sulking. "Why should I apologize? She's the one who said we had a lousy excuse for a team. I think she should be the one appologizin' ya?"  
  
Tidus elbowed his friend and gave him a stern look. "Be the bigger man. Go tell her you're sorry."  
  
Seeing that there was no way he was going to let up, Wakka made a sound of frustration and pushed himself off the bed. "Alright! But just so you know I'm only doin' this to get you to shut up."  
  
"Yeah right. You were probably sitting in here thinking of reasons to go talk to her," Tidus commented dryly, throwing his friend an evil smirk.  
  
Wakka shook his head and slammed the door. He crossed the small walkway, all the while thinking up different ways to make Tidus pay for this little set up. Once in front of Kenzi's door he lifted he hand and knocked...hard. The door flew open and once again the giant man was left speechless.  
  
Kenzi stood there, arms crossed over her chest and wearing nothing but a short towel that revealed every devastating inch of her sinfully long legs. Her damp hair hung in waves past her shoulders and he had to do everything in his power to keep himself from leaning down to inhale the sweet scent of whatever shampoo she used. "What's up captain? Is there a problem?" she asked, her lips twitching with the beginnings of a smile.  
  
"I.ah.just came by to umm." he stammered. It was no use. He couldn't think up sentences that made sense when she was standing there in a towel. "Damn. I'm sorry. See you later, ya?" Before he could make a bigger fool out of himself he turned and walked away, missing the small smile that curved Kenzi's lips.  
  
Heart swelling with happiness, Kenzi turned and went back into her room. She laughed softly as she closed the door. He was so cute when he was flustered. While entertaining thoughts of Wakka she dug through her bag, looking for something to wear. She pulled out a pair of indecently short blue shorts with gold bands circling the hems and a short, tight, yellow tank top with blue at the cuffs, neckline and hem. She liked her new team she was going to show them how much by proudly wearing their colors.  
  
An idea formulated in her mind and she dressed quickly then went back to digging into her bag. She pulled out a small container of sparkling blue face paint. Smiling, she applied two lines to each of her cheekbones and checked her reflection in the mirror hanging on the wall. Yes, she defiantly looked like an Auroch now.  
  
She slipped her boots on and was in the middle of pulling her hair up into its usual messy ponytail when another knock sounded at the door. Pushing aside her thoughts of her devastatingly adorable captain she opened the door to a short girl with wild blond hair dressed in a pair of olive green shorts and a deep pink tank top. The girls green eyes went wide as she stared up at Kenzi. "Oh my god, I thought they were kidding," she whispered.  
  
Kenzi smiled as she tucked strawberry blond bangs behind her ear. "Nope. It's me."  
  
A smile broke the shorter girls face and she squealed with joy, launching herself forward. "Oh wow Kenzi! I can't believe you're really here!" she yelped, wrapping her arms around Kenzi's neck.  
  
Kenzi laughed, hugging the young girl back. "It's good to see you too Rikku. It's been a long time."  
  
"No kidding!" Rikku bounced back, dropping her arms. "The last time I saw you was at Home before I left with the others." Visions of their Al Bhed home being destroyed flashed through her mind. Home. It was nothing more then ashes now mixed in with the dessert sand. She looked up at her childhood friend, eyes narrowing warily. "How did you-." Her voice drifted off when she saw deep sadness flash in Kenzi's stormy eyes. Maybe it was best that she didn't go there. Instead she lifted her hand and softly gripped the older woman's upper arm. "It's good to have you here Kenzi."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
Rikku smiled, tilting her head to the side. "Anytime. Are you done getting ready?" She didn't wait for an answer. Tightening her grip on Kenzi's arm she pulled her out into the narrow hallway. "All the guys are up on deck. Yunie's up there, you can meet her. And the view is amazing. Wait till you see Zanarkand. I guess they just finished the blitzball stadium so no ones even played there yet. Yunie had it designed just like Tidus described it and he says it's going to be awesome.  
  
Amused by the fact that Rikku could still talk a mile a minute without taking a breath, Kenzi willingly allowed herself to be pulled along.  
  
"So you switched teams huh? Does Brother know who you're playing for the Aurochs?"  
  
Kenzi ducked her head to hide her indulgent smile as they climbed the stairs to the ships deck. "He will soon."  
  
"And I wasn't going to come with today," Rikku quipped. They reached the top of the steps and she came to an abrupt stop, whirling around to face Kenzi. "What about Blappa?!"  
  
Kenzi's eyes turned the color of cold steel. "What about Blappa?" she murmured coldly. The last thing she wanted to do was talk about her heartless, domineering ex-boyfriend. He was the reason the Al Bhed's had dropped her so quickly after league had ended. When he saw that she was exceeding him in every aspect of "his" game there had been no end to his anger. He had attempted to beat her. When that had failed he had dumped her and told their captain some elaborate lie that had gotten her kicked off the team. "Blappa can go straight to the Farplane for all I-." Kenzi's stopped talking to let loose a startled shriek as she was tackled to the hard deck. "Jassu!"  
  
Smiling down at her, his bleach blonde hair a surprising contrast to his deeply tanned skin and dark brown eyes was the left defense for the Besaid Aurochs, Jassu. "Hey Kenzi," he said cheerfully. "I was just practicin' for the tournament. Wouldn't want to let capn' Wakka down, you know?"  
  
"You could have warned me." Kenzi remarked dryly, gently flicking his nose.  
  
"I made sure you didn't get hurt, didn't I?"  
  
Kenzi gave him a confused look then felt fingers brush her scalp. He'd cradled his hand around the back of her head to keep it from slamming against the wood deck.  
  
"See?"  
  
Kenzi smirked and pushed him off, getting to her feet. "You still scared the life out of me. You do know that I'm going to get you for this."  
  
Jassu grinned, shaking his head. "Good luck, ya?" he said as he disappeared down the stairs.  
  
"Dork," Kenzi muttered.  
  
"Yeah, but he's a cute dork," Rikku spoke up beside her. Kenzi turned to face her, arching a delicate brow in interest. Blushing, Rikku grabbed her arm and drug her up another flight of stairs. "Come on. Yunie's right up here."  
  
They walked onto a small upper deck above where they had been standing. The view from the deck was amazing. Pure blue stretched for miles on all sides, the hot sun's reflection glittering over the calm surface.  
  
Two women stood on the far side of the small deck. One was garbed in a black dress with long flared sleeves and a plunging fur neckline. Her black braided hair was pulled back and thick bangs hung over her right eye. Her image alone screamed black magic.  
  
The other woman was shorter with feathery brown hair that brushed her bare shoulders. She wore a unique white shirt that wrapped around her body and was secured by a decorative gold sash. White makeshift sleeves that darkened gradually to a deep pink hue towards the ends were tied above her elbows with blue ribbon and flowed down her arms. Her dark violet skirt, adorned with silvery blue vines and leaves waved in the breeze, brushing against practical black boots. She was the Summoner, Lady Yuna.  
  
"Come on," Rikku urged, tugging on her arm. "Yunie! I want to you meet a really good friend of mine." The two women turned to face them as they approached. "This is Kenzi. Kenzi, meet Yunie and Lulu."  
  
Kenzi bowed respectively. "Lady Yuna."  
  
"That's much too formal. Please just call me Yuna," the summoner said, giving her a kind smile. "You're the one Tidus recruited right?"  
  
Kenzi straightened and returned the smile. "Yeah, that would be me."  
  
"It's a pleasure to finally meet you. I watched you play during league. You were great."  
  
"Thank you," Kenzi said, blushing at the compliment.  
  
"I..I hope Wakka isn't giving you a hard time. He's very stubborn in his beliefs and it's not always a good thing," Yuna murmured, managing to look apologetic and concerned at the same time.  
  
"Wakka?" Kenzi questioned, laughing softly. "Nah. He's a big teddy bear. No worries. I'll win him over eventually."  
  
"That would be a miracle," Lulu remarked, finally speaking up. "Wakka hates Al Bhed. That will never change."  
  
Something in the tone of her voice sent a wave of unease through Kenzi. She stared at the dark woman for a moment, trying to read her expressionless face. "How do you know that?"  
  
"I know Wakka," Lulu said evenly. She crossed her arms over her large chest. "He will never change."  
  
'We'll see about that,' Kenzi thought. She was always up for a good challenge and if she won this one, the reward would be very much worth it. She turned to stare out over the ocean, wanting to avoid Lulu's unkind glare. Did Wakka really hate Al Bhed that much? Lulu had made it sound like there was no hope of the man seeing her for who she was instead of what she was. But there had to be. People changed all the time. Or at least their opinions did.  
  
Kenzi frowned and forced away the negative thoughts. Why was she even listening to this woman? She hardly even knew her. Besides, now was not the time to be doubting herself.  
  
Voices interrupted her thoughts, male voices, and Kenzi smiled wickedly. Yes, now was defiantly not the time. She had better things to do. She took several steps backwards towards the edge of the deck and listened carefully as the voices drew closer. Her grin widened when she recognized one in particular.  
  
"Will you guys..um..excuse me for a sec?" she asked politely, glancing over her shoulder and trying to judge how far down the drop was.  
  
"Kenzi, what are you doing?" Rikku asked.  
  
"Getting back at Jassu," Kenzi replied before leaping from the deck and tackling the first person in her way, which she had assumed, would be Jassu. They went down hard, him cursing, her congratulating herself on taking him by surprise.  
  
"Nice tackle Kenzi, but.ahh...you got the wrong guy," her intended victim said from somewhere above her.  
  
Kenzi froze. Her heart plummeted and she jerked back, a horrified gasp escaping her lips when she saw who it was that she had accidentally tackled.  
  
Wakka glared up at her, his golden brown eyes burning with anger.  
  
"Oh god-," she whispered, trying to move off of him but finding that every limb seemed to be more or less paralyzed. All she could do was stare down at his handsome face and wait for him to kill her. But instead of beating her within an inch of her life, he did something very unexpected. Something she would have completely missed if she had not been staring at him so intently. His gaze softened and an emotion flashed deep in his eyes. When she recognized it for what it was her own stormy gray eyes widened in response. Desire.  
  
Then she became aware of everything. Her hand pressed against his smooth, muscular chest, his hand resting lightly on her waist, the bare skin of her stomach pressed against his. Breathing became a little more difficult as heat consumed her body. She licked her parched lips and his eyes followed the movement.  
  
"I'm sorry," she murmured, praying that he could not hear the erratic beating of her heart.  
  
His lips quirked up in and enticing smirk. "Just don't let it happen again, ya?"  
  
Cheers and whistling broke through the haze that had surrounded them and cut them off from the rest of the world. Blushing furiously, Kenzi pushed herself off Wakka. "I..I'm sorry," she repeated, turning quickly and running downstairs to the safety of her room.  
  
On the highest deck of the ship Rikku turned to Yuna with a huge grin. "Did you see that?!"  
  
Yuna nodded, keeping the pleased smile off of her face. She knew Lulu had seen the whole display as well and was not at all happy about it. Yuna didn't want the older woman to see that she was happy about what had just happened between Wakka and Kenzi. As much as she loved Lulu she knew that she and Wakka didn't belong together. Wakka needed someone cheerful, someone who would show him how to enjoy life and not continually bring up the painful past he was trying to put to rest. Yuna only hoped Kenzi was strong enough to be that person.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The sun was centered in the clear blue sky; it's rays beating down mercilessly upon the S.S. Liki's occupants when Zanarkand came into view. Kenzi and Rikku were leaning against the rail at the front of the boat, each having changed into a bikini top after pulling their shirts off their backs for the 20th time. Rikku, wearing a top of deep burgundy perked up immediately. "There it is!" She yelled, bouncing excitedly and pointing to the horizon where a large city was starting to take shape. "There's Zanarkand."  
  
Straightening her own top of dark blue, secured by golden leather strings, Kenzi stared out across the water to where Zanarkand lie in the distance. "How long is it going to take to get there?"  
  
"About an hour unless the wind picks up," Tidus said, coming up beside her.  
  
Kenzi smiled at the shaggy haired blond. "He finally shows himself."  
  
Tidus laughed as he strapped on a thick leather glove and arm guard. "Yeah. I hear I missed a pretty steamy scene between you and Wakka," he said, regarding her with laughing blue eyes.  
  
Kenzi's cheeks burned as she lowered her gaze to the ship's deck. It seemed like everyone knew about what had happened, even those who hadn't been there. Kenzi herself couldn't forget it. She never would. She could still feel the weight of his hand where it had rested on her waist. All day she had been thinking how far things may have gone if they had been alone. Imagining things she shouldn't be imagining. 'It's almost game time Kenzi; you don't have time for distracting thoughts! You need to prove yourself to these guys,' she thought, desperately trying not to think about Wakka anymore. "What's the plan when we get to Zanarkand?" she asked, trying to change the subject.  
  
Tidus shook his head, chuckling softly. "Well, first we have to registers then we've got two hours to get ready before the tournament starts. There's four games this afternoon and the play offs are around nine tonight."  
  
"Oh, a night game! I love night games," Kenzi exclaimed.  
  
Nodding his agreement, the blond pulled a thick silver chain with a triangular shaped pendant from his pocket and slipped it over his head. He glanced at Kenzi out of the corner of his eyes. "There's a pretty good chance we're going to have to go up against the Al Bhed Psyches. Are you okay with that?"  
  
Kenzi turned to face him, crossing her arms over her chest and giving him her most indignant look. "I'll help my team grind their asses into the ground," she replied evenly.  
  
"Kenzi." Tidus placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't get all defensive. I just meant are you going to be okay playing against them. Last time I checked they had no idea that you had joined up with us."  
  
Cursing herself for being far too distrustful, Kenzi pushed her bangs out of her face and sighed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get like that. Don't worry about me though. I'll be fine." She laughed softly. "I just can't wait to see the looks on their faces when they see me."  
  
"Me neither!" Rikku said. "I love Brother and everything, but the face he makes when he's shocked is so funny!"  
  
For the next hour the three passed the time talking about blitzing until finally the city of Zanarkand loomed above them. Kenzi eyed the city in awe. Never in her life had she seen something so massive. Cheering people crowded the wharfs, awaiting the arrival of their favorite teams, forgotten balloons drifted lazily above the city skyline, the entire city buzzed with lively activity.  
  
Tidus had to force back the tears that had come from seeing his beloved home rebuilt in his honor, just the way he had described it. He pushed a hand through his platinum blond hair and closed his eyes, relishing the heartwarming feeling that spread through him.  
  
"Welcome home," a soft voice murmured behind him as feminine arms circled his waist.  
  
Tidus smiled. He turned in Yuna's embrace and wrapped his arms tightly around her. "Thank you Yuna. It's amazing."  
  
"It's the least I could do."  
  
Tidus pulled back and cradled Yuna's face in his hands. "I love you," he said, placing a whisper soft kiss against her waiting lips.  
  
"I love you too, Tidus." She moved back into his arms, snuggling against him.  
  
Kenzi watched the couple, a bittersweet sadness twisting her heart. If only she could have a love like that. But she couldn't. The risk was too great. She would rather the world around her remain intact then be destroyed because of her selfish need for such an emotion.  
  
"Alright guys, lets go. And no goofin' around. We celebrate after we win."  
  
Looking up, Kenzi's heart fluttered nervously when her gaze connected with Wakka's. Again the world seemed to fall away and it was just them. At least that's what it felt like for her. She gave him a shy smile and he smiled back. Maybe she could feel it someday, this love thing everyone made such a fuss about. Maybe it could be hers. If only Wakka would put the past aside and give her a chance. They could be so good together. Then Lulu ambled up, sliding her arm through Wakka's and Kenzi's heart clenched painfully. She watched them walk away, knowing it could never be.  
  
"Kenzi, you ready?" Tidus asked.  
  
She came out of her daze, seeing that Tidus, Yuna and Rikku were all watching her expectantly. Now would be a good time to stop thinking about him and start concentrating on what lie ahead. She plastered on her best fake smile and nodded. "About as ready as I'll ever be."  
  
She followed them off the ship, onto the docks and into the massive swarm of people all waiting for the tournament to begin. 


	4. Bittersweet Victory

Bittersweet Victory  
  
Three hours after their arrival in Zanarkand, the Besaid Aurochs stumbled into their locker room, exhausted but wearing bright smiles of victory. Many of them sported ugly bruises and yet those did nothing to lessen their exuberant attitudes. They had beaten the Luca Goers. It had been a long and difficult game, not to mention incredibly hostile, going into 20 minutes of overtime. The final score, 6 to 5, the winning goal executed beautifully by the newest additions to the Besaid Aurochs, Kenzi.  
  
*~*~*Flashback*~*~*  
  
Kenzi winced as she watched a dark man with black hair named Abus slam into Botta. The red headed Auroch doubled over in pain but thankfully kept his firm hold on the blitzball. After making sure his target was clear he passed the ball halfway across the sphere pool to Jassu. When the bleach blond man turned, Bickson, a red head with a wicked smirk and an appalling attitude was right there waiting for him. Using the wither tackle technique, Bickson shot forward. Jassu braced himself, clutching the ball tightly. This was going to hurt.  
  
Bickson hit him hard, dragging him back in the water and forcing the air from his lungs. The wither tackles toxin immediately took effect, spreading through his body like wild fire. But the ball was still in his possession. They could still win this.  
  
Jassu lifted his head tiredly and found Tidus several feet away. 'I can get that far. No problem.'  
  
Everything from that moment on seemed to drag out in slow motion. Jassu passed the ball to Tidus. Taking his eyes off of the ball for a split second, Tidus turned his head to the side, his gaze meeting Kenzi's across the pool. He jerked his head up, motioning to the top of the sphere pool and she nodded, propelling herself up through the water. Tidus turned in time to catch the ball. He twisted, hurling it up at Kenzi and praying that she would nail it.  
  
The strawberry blond Al Bhed broke the surface of the water, the blitzball right behind her. 'This is it Kenzi,' she thought as she sailed out of the sphere and into the cloudless sky. 'Time to show them why they recruited you.' She twisted on her side, her back arching gracefully as she swept her leg around her in a roundhouse kick. She saw the ball, watched as it connected with her foot and went flying back into the sphere pool with amazing speed. The silence stretched out agonizingly then was broken when the buzzer sounded and the crowd filled stadium erupted with cheers. Kenzi smiled as she dove back into the water. They had won.  
  
*~*~*End Flashback*~*~*  
  
"Way to go guys!" Wakka congratulated his team, grinning from ear to ear. "We're on to the finals!"  
  
"Yeah, thanks to legs here!" Jassu exclaimed proudly, wrapping his arm around Kenzi's shoulders.  
  
"No kidding," Botta spoke up, gingerly rubbing the large bruise forming on his side. "Were you watchin' capn'? It was a great shot."  
  
Wakka watched the blond Al Bhed blush and duck her head. "Yeah, I saw it," he replied softly.  
  
He'd seen it all right. He had watched every second of it wondering how it was humanly possible to have the incredible body she had. He hadn't been able to take his eyes off her, not even when the buzzer sounded signaling that they had won the game. All he could do was watch her, swimming with sure strokes, an angelic smile curving her full pink lips.  
  
Then, of course, had come that guilt again. He really hated that feeling but he supposed it was his own fault. Ever since they had left the ship he had been particularly cold to her and he wasn't even sure why. Maybe it had something to do with their little run in on the deck. When her small body had been pressed against his and she'd been staring at him with those beautiful gray-blue eyes something had stirred inside him. He had suddenly stopped looking at her as an Al Bhed and started seeing her for the woman she really was. It had shocked him and ever scared him a little. When Lu had commented on it, she had been nothing short of furious. He'd listened to her insults, staying silent the entire time. He had learned long ago that it was pointless to argue with her.  
  
But when he had gone back to join the team in the deserted area behind the stadium where they were practicing, he had immediately started taking his anger at Lulu out on the unsuspecting Kenzi. He'd cut her down, corrected moves that didn't need correcting over and over again and basically just been a complete ass to her.  
  
He knew he owed her an apology. And he knew he had to do it before their next game. His sudden cruelness had thrown her that much was obvious. Sure she had played good but Wakka knew she could have played better. They probably would have destroyed the Goers and avoided over time all together had Kenzi not been afraid he would yell at her again.  
  
'Yeah,' he thought, watching the guys compliment Kenzi. 'I defiantly owe her an apology.' He cleared his throat and called out to her. "Hey, Kenzi."  
  
The perky Al Bhed's head snapped up and her stormy eyes focused warily on him.  
  
"Could you come here for a sec?" he asked. "I want to talk to you about somethin'."  
  
Kenzi shot a look at Tidus. He gave her an encouraging smile and she separated herself from the group, crossing the room slowly to where Wakka stood waiting. "What's up?" she asked cautiously.  
  
"Listen, Kenzi..I think I owe you an apology," Wakka started off awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. "I came down pretty hard on you today and I didn't' mean to. Me and Lu, we weren't getting along too well and I took it out on the wrong person."  
  
Kenzi pointed to herself, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.  
  
Wakka grinned sheepishly and nodded. "Yeah, you," he said, glad to see laughter sparkling in her eyes once again. "I'm sorry Kenzi."  
  
"Apology accepted," she murmured.  
  
They stared at each other for a moment longer, and then Wakka wrapped a muscular arm around Kenzi's shoulders and pulled her close to his side. "You hungry?"  
  
"Starving," Kenzi replied, trying to ignore the erratic beating of her heart.  
  
"Alright then. Yo! Aurochs!" Wakka almost shouted. "We got a while before our next game. You feel like grabbin' a bite to eat? I'll pay."  
  
"Capn's payin'? That means I'll be able to get twice as much food!" Keepa said.  
  
Jassu rolled his eyes and elbowed his husky friend. "You do that and there's not gonna be anything left for the rest of us."  
  
"I could use some food. Last time I ate was breakfast if that's what you can call the junk they carry on the ship, ya?" Datto said while adjusting the green band he wore around his head. "What about you Tidus, Botta? You guys in?"  
  
Botta nodded. "Hell yeah. Can't turn down free food."  
  
Tidus shook his head, slowly backing towards the door. "I think I'm going to.ahh.see Yuna." As he expected the entire team broke out in a chorus of "ooooooo's." Tidus laughed and pushed the door open. "Whatever guys. You just wish you all had a girlfriend as fine as mine!" he yelled over his shoulder as he disappeared.  
  
"Damn kid's got a point," Jassu muttered, his shoulder slumping.  
  
Wakka laughed and reluctantly loosened his hold on Kenzi. "Come on guys. Let's get out of here and find a good place to eat, ya?" He led the way out of the locker room and everyone followed, Jassu and Kenzi trailing behind.  
  
Kenzi slid a sideways glance in Jassu's direction, surprised to see that he was actually still sulking. Had what Tidus said actually gotten to him? It seemed like it. Jassu was much more quiet then he normally tended to be. She could fix that though. "Um.Jassu?"  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"You know if you wanted a girlfriend all you would have to do is ask a certain Al Bhed with green eyes."  
  
At that Jassu perked up, regarding Kenzi with curiosity. "You mean Rikku? Seriously?!"  
  
Kenzi nodded. "Yup. I think she's been interested in you for a while. She's probably going to kill me for telling you that but I think it was worth the risk, wasn't it?"  
  
"Yeah. Wow, I never thought she would feel that way about me. Always thought she was cute, ever since the day Capn' Wakka brought her back after their fight with Sin. Guess I just didn't know how to go about tellin' her, ya know?"  
  
Kenzi smiled at the taller man, gently bumping her arm against his. "So are you going to tell her then?"  
  
"You bet. I'll think of some romantic way to say it. You girls go for that kind of stuff."  
  
Kenzi started to reply when a group of goggled men walking towards them caught her attention. She stifled a yelp and ducked behind Jassu, keeping herself well hidden from the men. There was no way that she wanted to be confronted by the Al Bhed Psyches, not right now.  
  
"You know, they're gonna see you sooner or later legs," Jassu said, looking over his shoulder and smiling at the way Kenzi was gripping his arm and maneuvering herself around him to keep the Al Bhed's from seeing her.  
  
"I prefer later," she muttered dryly. She moved in front of her blond teammate and walked backwards, looking over his shoulder at the retreating backs of the Psyches. "I wonder if they even know I'm here?"  
  
Jassu shrugged, gently pulling Kenzi back to his side to avoid tripping over her and taking them both down. "I guess we'll find out if they win this next game. Then it's just us and them."  
  
Kenzi didn't like the sound of that. The Al Bhed had become very hostile over the league season. She liked to refer to is as 'victory lust.' They were just about as tough as the Luca Goers but not half as sneaky. The way the Al Bhed Psyches went about winning was basically by use of brute strength and it was scary to see how far they would sometimes take it.  
  
Lost in her thoughts, Kenzi almost missed the restaurant they had chosen to stop at. She would have walked by completely if Jassu hadn't reached over and tugged on her arm, pulling her inside. The place they had gone into was more of a sports bar then a restaurant and it was dedicated entirely to the game of Blitzball. Worn uniform framed under glass lined the walls along with several pictures of famous Blitzball players. The far wall was made up of glass windows, looking out over the gigantic stadium and sphere pool. A big screen hung suspended above the bar, playing the previous game taking place between the Al Bhed Psyches and Guado Glories.  
  
Most of the Besaid Aurochs were already seated on bar stools around a large elevated table. Jassu grabbed a seat and the last one left, Kenzi noticed with a waver of nervousness, was the seat next to Wakka. She took a deep, calming breath and slid up onto the bar stool, quickly grabbing a menu and burying her face it.  
  
"Findin' anything you like?" Wakka asked after a while, leaning close to her.  
  
Kenzi turned to look up into his liquid amber eyes and smile. 'You,' she thought dreamily. "Not yet. Everything looks way too good." Her eyes traveled from the menu to his strong leg only inches away from her own, then up to the arm propped on the table beside her. She had to force herself not to go further.  
  
Wakka moved a little bit closer, unaware that he was even doing it and said, "You should try the behemoth burger. They're pretty good. That's what I'm getting."  
  
"Okay," Kenzi replied breathlessly, handing her menu over to Wakka.  
  
"Keepa.you just see that?" Botta asked quietly, hitting the Auroch goalie none-to-gently under the table.  
  
Keepa smirked. "You bet I did. How sweet huh? Our capn' helpin' the newbie order."  
  
"It's soooo romantic," Botta gushed, batting his lashes like an over flirtatious female. "Yeah, we all know what Wakka wants to order and it ain't nowhere in that menu he's holdin'."  
  
The two enjoyed a good laugh before the waitress came to take their orders. While they waited for their food the team watched the game going on, noticing grimly that the Al Bhed's were killing the Guado's.  
  
"Something tells me goin' up against those guys isn't going to be much fun," Datto muttered, nodding to the waitress as she set his food down in front of him.  
  
Botta looked up at Kenzi, noticing that she was still watching Wakka avidly. She had it bad. Botta just hoped that in the end it would all work out. Kenzi was one hell of a girl. One he would have gone after himself had he not noticed the way she watched Wakka like he was the only man on earth. "Hey legs, what do you have to say about it?"  
  
Kenzi looked up. "Huh?"  
  
"I said what do you think about the Al Bhed. You think we stand a chance?"  
  
Kenzi paused to dip a fry in catsup and pop it in her mouth, chewing it thoughtfully. "They're tough. When I was playing with them it seemed like they just got more and more angry with each game they played. But I think we can do it. Steer clear of their elbows and you should be fine."  
  
The rest of their meals were eaten in quite conversation, most of it revolving around strategy. When they finished Wakka paid for everything and they left the restaurant. Outside the sun was steadily setting, casting gold and violet colors streaking across the sky. People were heading towards the stadium in large groups and children were laughing as they threw blitballs back and forth.  
  
"How much time we got?" Jassu asked, folding his hands behind his head.  
  
"We got about an hour," a voice called out from ahead of them. Tidus pushed through the crowd and rejoined his team. "How was the food?"  
  
"Pretty good," Wakka said. He put a hand over his full stomach and grinned. "How was Yuna?"  
  
Smiling, Tidus rolled his eyes. "Wouldn't you like to know? We should get back to the locker room. Stretch out a bit."  
  
The team agreed and they returned to their designated locker room. After pushing aside bags and benches they all sat in a large circle and began to get prepared for the game.  
  
Kenzi pulled one leg in and stretched the other out to the side, then leaned over it sighing as the muscles began to stretch. She tried to keep her mind focused on the game. It was not an easy thing to do. She kept wondering how the Psyches were going to take it, seeing her with another team. Would they be upset? Would they get her back during the course of the game? God, she hopped not. Then she realized something that made her stomach turn in sickening knots. She was playing center, right across from Blappa. 'He is going to be so pissed,' she thought as she finished stretching and pulled on her thick leather gloves, strapping them halfway up her arms.  
  
Tense silence filled the room as each player stretched and started doing their pre game rituals. Botta went off in the corner and placed his elbows on his knees, resting his head on his folded hands. Datto adjusted and re-adjusted his sandals and headband. Keepa sat on another bench, rolling a blitzball back and forth under his foot. Wakka and Tidus talked in hushed murmurs across the room. Jassu however came to sit next to Kenzi, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and pulling her into a brotherly half hug. "Doin' okay?"  
  
Kenzi nodded nervously, then changing her mind, shook her head quickly back and forth.  
  
"What's up?"  
  
She sighed, running her hands over her head. "I'm playing across from my ex and we did NOT part on good terms."  
  
Jassu gave her a gentle shake. "No worries, ya? We got your back. The jerk tries anything and he'll have a whole team pissed off at him."  
  
Kenzi smiled. "Thanks Jassu," she said, reaching up and hugging him.  
  
"Okay guys," Wakka spoke up, breaking the tense silence. "Suns down. It's game time."  
  
Each Auroch stood slowly and formed a tight circle around their captain. Hands went in, one over the other. Wakka slowly looked around the small group of faces, pausing on Kenzi. She was worried about something. He could see the anxiety swimming in her eyes. "When you guys get out there remember to have fun. Win or loose were still the best team Spira has to offer, ya?"  
  
"Ya!" The team shouted in unison.  
  
"We should go out there now. I want to get there before the sphere's filled," Tidus said. Excitement practically radiated from him. If there was one person ready for this game it was him. "You guys just got to see it. It's awesome."  
  
Wakka nodded and slapped his friend on the shoulder. "You heard the man. Get out there. Good luck guys!"  
  
The team filed out, Kenzi once again lagging behind. Wakka gently grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back. When she raised her eyes to him they were filled with trepidation. He brushed his thumb softly over her jawbone, unable to help himself. "You okay?"  
  
She nodded hastily. "Yeah. I just want to get this over with. I have this feeling.it's silly really," she said, trying to turn away.  
  
Wakka used his fingers to pull her face back around so that he could watch the emotions swimming in her eyes. "What is it Kenzi?"  
  
"I just.." Kenzi shrugged. "I have this feeling that they're going to be really brutal."  
  
"To you?"  
  
Kenzi nodded mutely.  
  
"Hey. Don't worry okay? You're gonna be fine. You're the best I've seen aside from Tidus. They wont be able to touch you," he said, smiling down at her.  
  
Kenzi smiled hopefully back up at him. "Really?"  
  
"Yeah, really. Now get your ass up there. Tidus wants all of you guys to see the sphere get filled. He's.kinda strange that way, you know?"  
  
Laughing, Kenzi impulsively threw her arms around Wakka's neck. "I know. Thanks Capn'." She placed a quick kiss on his cheek and before she could spare a second to be embarrassed she ran out of the locker room to join the rest of the team. They were lined up alongside the sphere. Apprehension filled the air. Across from there stood the Al Bhed, each of them crossing their arms over their chests.  
  
"You guys ready for this?" Tidus asked smiling.  
  
Kenzi gave him a strange look. "How is this going to be any different from any other time they fill up the sphere pool?"  
  
Tidus laughed and shook his head. "Just watch."  
  
As he spoke, energy began to build around them, moving in electrifying waves. Kenzi felt her breath leave her in a sudden rush as she watched it collect in the middle of the sphere, moving forward in neon beams of light. The entire crowed stared in awe as the beams moved faster, forming a blinding ball of energy in the middle of the sphere, then is suddenly exploded, the blast forcing people back into their seats.  
  
"Wow.." Kenzi murmured, watching water spill over and around the sphere.  
  
"Told you it was going to be awesome," Tidus said smugly. "Alright guys! Let's do this!"  
  
The Aurochs entered the sphere and moved in to position. Kenzi braced herself for Blappa's reaction and wasn't disappointed. The young Al Bhed swam up, took one look at her and his jaw dropped.  
  
"Kenzi, fryd dra ramm yna oui tuehk rana?!"  
  
Kenzi couldn't resist smirking at him. "I'm playing. What does it look like I'm doing?"  
  
Before Blappa could get in another comment the buzzer sounded and the game began. Tidus scored the first goal after ruthlessly breaking through the Al Bhed's defense and carrying off a perfect sphere shot. Then Blappa tied the score, almost taking Keepa out of the game with a nap shot. After that the game remained tied. Each Auroch team member poured their hearts into the game and just when they though they were getting somewhere, using every technique in the book, something went wrong.  
  
There were three minutes left in the first half and Botta had the ball. He had an open shot for Kenzi, so he signaled to her and passed. Kenzi watched the ball, not paying any attention to Blappa who was swimming up behind her. She caught the ball and spun around, finding herself face to face with her ex. Too late she noticed the malicious smirk curving his thin lips. He shot forward to tackle her and his elbow came down, connecting solidly with her temple. As her body went limp, the ball dropped from her fingers and the buzzer sounded. 'End of the first half,' she thought as she blacked out completely.  
  
Immediate chaos broke out. Datto went for Blappa, screaming profanities and Botta held him back doing his own share of vulgar yelling. Tidus started yelling at the refs, demanding they call a foul. Closer to Kenzi then any of the others, Jassu shot through the water and grabbed her sinking body, cradling it close to his. He motioned to the rest of the Aurochs to leave the pool and then swam for the exit. After getting out of the pool he went straight to the locker room, Tidus, Datto, Botta and Keepa quickly following behind him.  
  
The door was jerked open by a fierce looking Wakka. "Put her on one of the tables," he said, trying hard to control his anger.  
  
Jassu looked back at Botta and Datto. The two nodded and moved past him, grabbing a large table from against the wall and pulling it into the middle of the room.  
  
"Do you want me to go get Yuna?" Tidus asked, coming up to stand beside Wakka.  
  
The larger man shook his head, watching as Jassu carefully set Kenzi's unmoving body on the table. "No time. The second half starts in five minutes." With a sigh he left Tidus and went to the table, staring down at Kenzi's pale face. He gingerly ran his blunt fingertips over the nasty bump forming at her temple and cursed. "How hard did that guy hit her?"  
  
"Pretty hard," Datto muttered. "From any other angle I'm sure it looked like he tackled her but from where I was..I saw him hit her. He was smiling capn'. He meant to do it."  
  
Wakka's fists clenched in fury. He actually felt sick. He couldn't believe that the guy had intentionally hit Kenzi! He wanted to hunt him down and beat him within an inch of his life for even thinking about hurting her. "Anyone know why he'd wanna do somethin' like this?"  
  
Jassu nervously cleared his throat, drawing the attention of the group. "She told me the guy is her.ah.ex."  
  
"She dated that guy!?" Datto yelped, earning himself several glares. "Sorry."  
  
Wakka swore again and drug a hand over his face. "No wonder she was so worried about goin' out there."  
  
Kenzi stirred and the room went silent, all the guys turning to watch her. "Wakka," she murmured, twisting her head to the side.  
  
If the red headed captain thought it was strange that she had called out his name he didn't say anything. The rest of the Aurochs however gave him interested looks but he ignored them, leaning down and sliding a hand under the curve of her neck. "Kenzi?"  
  
She stirred again, this time turning her head towards him. Her lids slowly drifted open, revealing deep pools of dazed gray. Her thin brows drew together in uncertainty and she tried to move her head further, wincing when the lump above her temple brushed the unyielding surface of the table.  
  
"Careful," Wakka murmured, gently cradling her head in the palm of his hand. "You took a pretty hard hit out there, ya?"  
  
Kenzi made a sound of disgust and winced again, then glared up at the offending lump that was keeping her inhibited. "Blappa is such a freaking ass. I should have seen that one coming."  
  
"You shouldn't have had to," Datto said hotly. "He hit you on purpose Kenzi. That ain't right."  
  
Kenzi smiled at him, touched by the fact that Datto had gotten so angry because someone had hit her. "I know it's not right but that's how those guys work. Or at least that's how some of those guys work." She tapped his arm lightly with her foot and was rewarded with a shy grin. "You want to help me up?"  
  
"Sure." He moved around the table and took her hand, slowly helping her sit up.  
  
Watching her legs dangle over the edge of the table Kenzi took a fortifying breath. "When do we go back out?"  
  
Wakka gaped at her, unable to believe those words had come from her mouth. She'd just gotten knocked out, she could barley hold her head up and now she wanted to go back into the game? Well, that wasn't going to happen. "We're goin' now. You're stayin' here," he said.  
  
Kenzi raised pleading eyes to him, eyes he knew he could never resist. "Please Wakka, let me go out. Just for a few minutes."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"It's a pride thing," Kenzi said, frustration evident in her tone. "I'll be fine. Just give me time to go in there, score and take care of that asshole Blappa. Please? I'll have Jassu call time out when I start losing it. I promise. Just please let me go in there and do this."  
  
Wakka crossed his arms over his muscular chest and simply stared at her, demanding himself to say no. There was no way she could do this. It was amazing that she had even come to after a blow like that. "Why should I say yes?"  
  
Kenzi leaned against his arm and tilted her head up, giving him a melting smile. "Because I was with the Al Bhed for a year. I know their tricks. I can do this. You can run and get Yuna and I promise.PROMISE.I wont be out there longer then five minutes. Pleeeeease?"  
  
He almost laughed. Almost. "Kenzi, you sure about this? What if you black out as soon as you leave the locker room? Then what?"  
  
Kenzi slid off the table as the Aurochs filed out of the locker room. After making sure her feet were firmly planted and she wasn't going to pass out and fall flat on her face she turned to Wakka and placed her hands on his chest. "I'll be okay. Trust me," she whispered, never allowing her eyes to leave his.  
  
Wakka was lost. Lost in her eyes, lost to her words, lost to his own will. Before he knew it he was resolutely nodding his head, giving into the little minx, allowing her too keep her pride as his took a drastic fall.  
  
Kenzi's smile was blinding as she reached up and wrapped her arms around Wakka's neck. "Thank you. I promise you wont regret this."  
  
"Yeah yeah. Get out there before I change my mind," he muttered, smiling as he allowed his arms to wrap around her small waist. If there was no game to think about he would gladly stay like that for the rest of the night, or at least until someone found them. But he couldn't. There was a game to be played. He released his hold on her and she let her arms fall back to her side. "Go," he said, giving her a shove out the door.  
  
Kenzi smiled and bounced out the doorway. It was only far from that door that she cut the theatrics and started to stager. Spots swam before her eyes. Pain exploded from the spot where Blappa had hit her, but she refused to give up. She had to do this.  
  
An arm came around her and she leaned against its owner, looking up into kind brown eyes. "Jassu."  
  
The Aurochs left defense grinned and nodded. "You may be able to fool capn' Wakka with your sweet talk, but not me. Saw right though it Kenzi."  
  
"Only a few minutes, then I'm out. Just tell the rest of the guys to watch their mark and keep them away from me," she said, dragging in an unsteady breath.  
  
"You got it." Jassu helped her to the sphere pool then let her go in on her own. Once in the water Kenzi immediately started feeling better. The cool water caressed her skin and eased the pain throbbing in her head. She moved into position in the center of the sphere, smirking at Blappa's stunned expression and the game began.  
  
The ball flew up between Kenzi and Blappa. Kenzi let the jerk have it, smiling as he moved toward her. He was almost setting himself up for this one. The smirk on her face disappeared, replaced by a cold glare. Blappa stopped in front of her, shaking his head. He didn't think she had it in her to take him down. He was so very wrong.  
  
With a powerful kick Kenzi shot forward. She tackled him hard, slamming her body against his with jarring impact. 'Now for the pain,' she thought, shoving her shoulder up hard into his chin and snapping his head back. But it wasn't enough. Kenzi's fingers closed around the ball and she did the one thing she never thought she would do to a man. As she came out of the tackle she brought her knee up between his legs and it connected hard with its target. Kenzi silently congratulated herself as the ball slipped from Blappa's fingers and into her possession.  
  
She didn't spare a moment to make sure the Al Bhed was okay. Why should she? He had brought it upon himself. With a laugh she swam forward, increasing her speed and surprising her entire team but adapting Wakka's freestyle stroke and easily making her way to the goal.  
  
She stopped several feet away and looked down at the blitzball. 'Now what was it that Nimrook just hated?' She looked up at the Al Bhed goalie and smiled. "Venom," she whispered. The blitzball responded to her words and started glowing a filthy green color. She saw Nimrook's eyebrows shoot up and laughed. "Sorry Rook! I've got to make the capn' proud." She released the ball, kicking it as hard as she could and it sailed through Nimrook's hands and into the goal.  
  
Kenzi laughed and floated on her back, reeling with the euphoria of her victory. Not only had she proven herself to be much stronger then she looked but she had shown her captain that she was a woman of her word. Her joy didn't last long though. As soon as she straightened up and started to swim back into position her head began to pound with an almost lethal force. She looked up at Jassu, not surprised to see him watching her avidly. She gave him the nod and he called time, allowing her to exit the sphere.  
  
While she was swimming away someone grabbed her arm and pulled her back. She swung around and stared up at the face of an Al Bhed with dark circles around his eyes, a bright yellow mohawk, and worn gray overalls. Brother.  
  
The handsome Al Bhed looked back to where Blappa was floating, clutching his stomach and muttering several curses in Al Bhed. With a chuckle he turned back to Kenzi. "Good shot Kenzi. It's nice to see you again," he said in thick Al Bhed.  
  
Kenzi offered him a weak smile. "Thanks Brother. It's good to see you again too. Nice to know the entire team doesn't hate me for leaving."  
  
"No." Brother shook his head. "I didn't believe a word of it."  
  
Giving his hand a quick squeeze, Kenzi said goodbye, turning to leave the sphere. She trudged to the locker room, feeling weaker with every step she took. She wasn't even sure she was going to make it. She could just picture herself falling flat on her face, unconscious in the middle of the walkway. It wasn't a pretty picture. When she reached the door it opened for her and she fell against the solid wall of Wakka's chest.  
  
"You did good Kenzi. Now it's time to rest, ya?" he murmured close to her ear while rubbing her back with his hand.  
  
The blonde Al Bhed could only manage a small nod as Wakka picked her up and carried her back to the table, setting her down gently on top of it.  
  
"Heal her, will you Yuna?" Wakka asked, unable to tear his worried gaze from where Kenzi lie.  
  
Yuna stepped forward from where she had been standing quietly against the wall, a casual observer of the goings on. She placed a hand on her good friend shoulder, trying to get his attention. "Wakka, go. I'll take care of her. By the time you get back it will be like nothing happened."  
  
The tall man stared at the woman on the table a moment longer, then with a curt nod, turned and left the room.  
  
Yuna smiled and shook her head at Wakka's retreating back. "So there really is something between you two," she said softly, turning back to the unconscious Kenzi. "Well, I honestly hope it works out. But I don't suppose it will if I don't heal you."  
  
Quickly conjuring up a cura she placed a glowing hand over the swelling lump on Kenzi's head, smiling as the bruise subsided and the lump disappeared. As Yuna had promised it was like nothing had even happened. "You can wake up now," Yuna whispered, laughing when Kenzi scrunched up her nose.  
  
"But sleep feels so good!" the blond Al Bhed cried. Slowly she opened her eyes and experimentally turned her head from side to side. The pain was gone. "Thank you Yuna," she said, smiling up at the summoner.  
  
Yuna pulled up a bench and sat down, turning to the screen that hung in the corner of the room so that she could watch the game. "You're welcome Kenzi. Anything to help a friend."  
  
"So are they playing yet?"  
  
"Wakka just entered the sphere pool now," Yuna replied, pointing to the screen.  
  
Kenzi flipped around on the table. She propped her shoulder on the surface and rested her chin in her hands, watching Wakka as he swam through the water. Heat spread through her as she thought back on all of the moments they had shared today, recent one most defiantly included. Oh, the things he made her feel. She wished she could tell him, explain how deeply her feelings ran for him. Explain that every time he touched her she had difficulty breathing and resisting the temptation his arms held.  
  
"Kenzi," Yuna said, breaking her from her wistful revere. The young Al Bhed turned to her soft-spoken companion expectantly. "I'm not really sure how to ask you so I'm just going to come out and ask you, okay?" At Kenzi's nod Yuna tentatively continued. "How.how long have you had feelings for Wakka?"  
  
"Six years," the blond replied flippantly, turning back to the game.  
  
Yuna almost fell off of her seat. "Six years?!"  
  
Kenzi nodded, sending her gaze to the floor with a secretive smile. "Mm-hm. I've liked him since the first time I laid eyes on him. Something about him was so.different from other guys. I couldn't stop myself from adoring him. Even when Sin came and I went years before I ever saw him again, the feelings never went away." She looked up at Yuna, her blue-gray eyes sparkling with warm pleasure. "I can't really explain it. Sometimes I think it goes much deeper then a crush, but I...I'm not sure what to call it."  
  
Yuna smiled. Young love, that's what she would call it. "I understand. I felt like that about Tidus once. I was so torn between what I should and shouldn't call it." She took a deep breath before she continued. She never liked to remember what had happened after they had defeated Sin. The memory was still too fresh in her mind. "Before he left I figured it out and the last thing I told him was that I loved him. And since he's come back I haven't gone day without telling him just how much I love him."  
  
Kenzi sighed and laid her head on her arm, the silken strands of loose hair from her ponytail trailing over her skin. "I don't know if I'll ever be able to tell Wakka how I feel about him. He would probably laugh and tell me I've lost it."  
  
"I guess you'll never know unless you tell him," Yuna said with a smile.  
  
Kenzi merely scoffed and turned her attention back to the screen in time to see Wakka brutally take out Blappa and pass the blitzball to Tidus who scored another point putting the Aurochs ahead by two. The time wound down, Kenzi and Yuna cheering from their spots in the locker room, and the Aurochs held their ground playing mostly defense to keep the Psyches from scoring. They were determined to win and in the end their determination paid off. The Besaid Aurochs were the winners of the tournament.  
  
After giving Kenzi a hug, Yuna left to congratulate the team and Kenzi started packing up her belongings. For some reason she was sure that the group of men would want to return to their island home instead of spending the night in the crowded town of Zanarkand. She tossed her gloves in her bag and zipped it up right as six rowdy men came barging through the door.  
  
"Legs! We won!" Jassu yelled, picking her up and swinging her around.  
  
Kenzi laughed and hugged him back. "I know. Yuna and I watched the whole thing. Congratulations guys!"  
  
Botta snatched her away from Jassu and gave her a suffocating bear hug, complete with a friendly pat on the back. "Wanted to tell you that tackle you pulled off on Blappa was great."  
  
"Bet he's really regretting that he taught me how to do that," she muttered. She ruffled Botta's hair and moved out of his embrace, grabbing her bag off the floor and giving Keepa, Tidus and Datto hugs before she started to head for the door where her tall captain waited.  
  
She stopped in front of him, content just to stare up into his gorgeous amber eyes. "Good game capn'," she finally said, breaking the silence.  
  
Wakka smiled, rubbing the back of his head. "Yeah. I think you really shook up that Blappa guy. Shoulda seen the look in his eyes when I came after him." He looked at Kenzi, unconsciously lifting a hand to brush his fingers over her temple where the lump had once been. Not even the slightest bruise marred her soft skin. "You feelin' better?"  
  
"Much better, thank you." Kenzi felt like pressing her cheek into his palm and kissing the salty flesh of his wrist. The idea came out of nowhere, stunning her and leaving her breathless. Again she saw desire flash in Wakka's tawny eyes and knew she had to get out of there before she did something she may regret. "Are we..going back to Besaid?"  
  
"Yeah. We'll leave as soon as everyone's packed up."  
  
She held back a sigh of disappointment as his hand dropped away; leaving the skin that he had been touching feeling cold. "Okay. I'm going to go wait on the ship. I'll see you guys there in a little bit." She offered him a shy smile, and then pushed the door open and walked out of the locker room.  
  
Kenzi found her way around easily after being told by one of the few security guards patrolling the area where she could find the correct dock. She strolled lazily along, smiling as children with cotton candy ran past her, giggling as their parents tried to playfully chase them down, and nodding to people she recognized from previous blitzball games. Harsh white lights illuminated the walkway, helping spectators to feel safe as they made their way back to their homes for the night.  
  
Kenzi sighed and hugged herself. She loved the game of blitzball but even better was the feeling that came after a well-fought game. The satisfied weariness, the happy families passing you by and congratulating you on your victory, the feeling of a long day well spent. Nothing could possibly ruin this night. Well, almost nothing.  
  
As Kenzi passed by a large pillar a hand snaked out and wrapped around her arm. 'Is it just me or is this happening a lot today?' she wondered as she was slammed against the stone wall of the pillar. She slowly raised her head and smiled with feigned sweetness at her captor. "Why hello Blappa, what a surprise," she muttered bitterly.  
  
"I should beat the hell out of you for that little stunt you pulled today," he hissed, his thick accent slightly distorting his speech.  
  
Kenzi sighed and slapped impatiently at his hands. "Oh as if you actually could. You tried that before, remember? And as I recall you didn't get very far." She ducked under his arms to get away but again her grabbed at her, holding her firmly in place.  
  
"So you finally got what you wanted, huh. You're such a slut." He smirked at her shocked expression and continued, resentment dripping from his voice. "Didn't think I noticed how you were always watching him? It was sickening Kenzi. Your obsession for that freak Wakka was so obvious."  
  
"Don't you dare talk about him like that," Kenzi growled, moving forward and jabbing her finger into Blappa's chest. "He's more of a man then you will EVER be."  
  
"Oh, and I suppose you would know that too, wouldn't you? You probably begged him to screw you once you got within five feet of him, didn't you? But I suppose the poor moron hasn't had a good piece in a lifetime being stuck on that island with a bunch of idiots. Probably thought your hero worship was cute."  
  
"I said don't talk about him like that!" Kenzi hissed, pulling her hand back to slap him.  
  
Blappa laughed and grabbed her hand before it made contact with its target. He brought his other hand up, digging it painfully into her hair and yanking her head back. Kenzi winced, tears of pain gathering in her eyes. But she wouldn't give in. "What's the matter Blappa? Does it make you jealous that the entire time I was with you I was thinking about him? Wishing that I was with him instead of some slimy shit head like you?"  
  
That wiped the smirk right off his face. He growled and yanked her head back further. God, he was going to break her neck. Where was everyone? Hadn't the streets just been filled with people not even ten minutes ago? Kenzi closed her eyes tightly, waiting for the jerk to hit her, but he never did.  
  
Suddenly his hands fell away and Kenzi stumbled back. She looked up, her jaw dropping when she saw Wakka holding Blappa up against the pillar by the collar of his shirt. The powerful Auroch loomed above Blappa, his hard gaze boring into the Al Bhed's. "You ever lay a hand on her again and I'll break every damn bone in your body, you got that?" he asked in a low, menacing voice. The Al Bhed nodded his head jerkily, shaking with fear. With a sound of disgust, Wakka tossed Blappa aside and waited for the shorter man to run off before turning back to Kenzi.  
  
When he started walking towards her it was with slow, deliberate steps and Kenzi knew that he was beyond angry. She forced herself not to run, planting her feet firmly and standing her ground. If he was going to decide to be mad at her yet again at least this time she would be ready for it.  
  
He stopped in front of her, staring down at her with those gorgeous golden brown eyes. Tense silence stretched between them. Suddenly Wakka gave her a strange look and started laughing.  
  
Kenzi's breath left her in a relieved rush and she slapped his arm playfully.  
  
"Thought I was gonna yell at you?"  
  
"Well, can you blame me?" she asked quietly, lowering her head to avoid his piercing gaze. She hated feeling vulnerable but Wakka's presence always seemed to evoke that emotion.  
  
"No, I guess not," he replied, his deep voice sending a wave of sultry heat washing through her. "He didn't hurt you, did he?"  
  
Kenzi shook her head. "No. Almost ripped a chunk of hair out of my head but I'm sure I'll live."  
  
"You're getting into a lot of trouble with that guy today. Why is that?"  
  
"He's.umm, he's my ex boyfriend." She shrugged her delicate shoulders while releasing a helpless sigh. "I knew he had issues from day one but he just kept bugging me every day until I just couldn't take it anymore and..and I caved."  
  
"Did you even want to be with this guy?" Wakka asked, taking a step forward and leaving nothing more then an inch of space between them.  
  
Kenzi swallowed hard. He was too close. She couldn't think straight. She lifted her eyes to his, stormy gray clashing with liquid amber. Kenzi's breath caught and she knew right away that she was in trouble. "No. I wanted to be with someone else..but it was impossible," she murmured as she clasped her trembling hands before her, willing them to stop shaking.  
  
Wakka's gaze flickered to her hands and back to her face. "You cold?" he asked, his voice much softer then it usually was.  
  
"No," Kenzi replied breathlessly.  
  
Wakka's hand came up, gently gripping her upper arm. She knew what was coming. She knew and she didn't care. He murmured her name, she responded with a sigh of complete surrender, swaying close to him.  
  
"Hey Wakka! Is that Kenzi with you?"  
  
The two jumped apart at the sound of Jassu's voice and Wakka took a step back, turning to face the younger man and the four other Aurochs that trailed behind him.  
  
"Oooh! Busted!" Botta exclaimed, lightly elbowing a laughing Keepa.  
  
Wakka held his hands up in front of him. "It's not what it looks like guys. Kenzi had another run in with Blappa. I was just makin' sure she was okay, you know?"  
  
"Riiight," Tidus drawled, earning more laughter from the group.  
  
Even Kenzi smiled, but it was forced. She was trying hard to fight off the sting of disappointment that Wakka's careless words had caused. She should have been ready for it. She had known that she could never have him but for one second she had dared to dream.  
  
~That was a mistake my dear. You should really be more careful.~ The voice of evil filled her head and Kenzi bit back an agonized gasp as it painfully ripped at her insides. 'Cool it Kenzi,' she silently commanded. There was no way she would allow herself to fall apart in front of her team. "I..I'm going to go back to the ship. I'll see you guys there," she muttered, turning on her heel and quickly walking away before any of the guys could question her.  
  
The laughter from the group of Aurochs died away as they watched her retreating form, wondering what had just happened. Only Wakka understood the reason for her hasty retreat. He had hurt her. 


	5. Island Home

Island Home  
  
Laying on his back on the small bed provided to him, Wakka stared up at the ceiling through the darkness of the small room, listening to the chorus of snores coming from Jassu and Botta as sleep eluded him. Visions of Kenzi's face haunted his mind. He couldn't stop thinking about the pain swimming in her beautiful gray blue eyes. What had he done? What had he even been thinking?! He shouldn't have even tried to kiss her. It was wrong. She was Al Bhed (not the best argument but it was all he really had to go on) and he was..kind of..with Lulu.  
  
With a sigh he reached over and picked up Botta's watch off the crudely built nightstand. 12:58. He should have been exhausted but he was wide awake and had a feeling he would stay that way. As quietly as he could he sat up, slipped his sandals on and left the room. He needed air. But when he slowly climbed the stairs and walked out onto the deck, he saw that he wasn't the only one having problems sleeping.  
  
Kenzi was leaning up against the ships rail, her back to him, and the pale moon bathing her in its silver blue light. Her strawberry blond hair was unbound and fell in waves a little past her shoulders. Small white and blue feathers were bound at the ends of four tiny braids on either side of her head. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other and Wakka felt his mouth go dry as he watched her hips sway gently with the movement. 'I wonder if she's still mad at me,' he thought, slowly making his way across the deck to where she stood. When he reached her she lifted her head, showing that she knew he was there but continued to stare out at the vast expanse of dark, calm water.  
  
"Hey," he said softly, leaning on the rail beside her.  
  
Kenzi's full lips curved up in a gentle smile. "Hi."  
  
"You..mad?"  
  
The young woman sighed and dropped her gaze to where the water broke against the ships bow. "I was," she murmured, "but I understand. At least I think I do. My mother used to tell me to always be an understanding person. It would make living a little more easy."  
  
"Smart woman." Wakka watched the silken strands of her hair brush against the side of her face and a sudden urge to reach out and tuck those soft wisps behind her ear caused his hands to itch with an almost undeniable need to touch her. "So are your parents okay with you playin' for us?" he asked, trying to make conversation to get his mind off of doing something he may later regret.  
  
Something changed in her expression. It became sad, withdrawn. Without her even saying anything Wakka understood what had happened. "Sin," he muttered softly.  
  
Kenzi nodded slowly. "Yeah. He took all of them. My mom, my dad and my brother." She pushed off the rail as she spoke, turning her back to the water and leaning once again on the railing. "Sometimes I wonder how many other people now share my story."  
  
"I'm sorry Kenzi," Wakka said, turning to face her.  
  
She smiled sadly and shook her head. "They're happy where they are. I can feel that. My brother's probably so proud of me right now. He spent years teaching me that shot I used when we played the Goers." She laughed and shook her head again. "I can still remember the first day I finally got it. He took me out to this restaurant and snuck me a beer saying it was okay as long as it was for a good reason but if he ever saw me doing it again the consequences would be unimaginable."  
  
Wakka smiled at that admiring Kenzi for her bravery. She was so young and she had lost so much yet she could still laugh and happily reminisce about her past instead of constantly thinking about how it was all ripped away from her. He was glad that she was able to do that. A smile that gorgeous would be a shame to waste.  
  
"So what's your deal Wakka?"  
  
He jerked his head up, taken off guard by her question and too lost in thoughts to realize that she had been watching him, her smile growing with each passing second that he remained silent. "What?"  
  
She turned to face him and gave him a lop sided grin. "What's your deal? I come to the island and it was obvious that you didn't want me there. Then you act all civil on the ship but as soon as we get to the stadium you start in on me again. And now-," her voice trailed off and she cocked her head to the side.  
  
God, she was adorable. "Maybe," he said at length, "it's cuz I think that whole hero worship thing is cute."  
  
Kenzi's mouth dropped open as her eyes went wide. "You..you heard all of that?" she asked in a horrified whisper.  
  
Wakka nodded. There was no hope for him now. He knew that even if he tried it would be impossible for him to deny that he had feelings for her. She intrigued him; she made him feel like there was more to life then what he was doing with it. And he wanted her. He just plain and simple wanted her. So he took the risk and closed the distance between them for the second time that day, carefully wrapping his arm around her waist and drawing her fit body up against his. "Kenzi," he whispered huskily, gently pushing her bangs out of her face and cradling the side of her face in his palm.  
  
She didn't move. It was as if she was too scared to. But he could see the desire flaring in those deep gray eyes. She wanted this as badly as he did. "Wakka," she murmured unsurely, her hand coming to rest on his bicep. She closed her eyes and he leaned down, gently brushing his lips against hers. It was a simple kiss, questioning and innocent and that's how it stayed. Before it had even begun it was done. Wakka backed away, let his arm fall back to his side and offered the beautiful Al Bhed a smile. "Goodnight Kenzi," he said, turning and walking away from her.  
  
Kenzi watched him go, watched him until she could no longer see him then she leaned back against the railing. Smiling, she brushed her fingers against the place where his lips had just been. "Good night Wakka," she whispered. She looked up at the stars, said a silent prayer of thanks and went back down to her room to sleep until they reached the island of Besaid.  
  
Two hours later Kenzi trudged wearily along the beach of Besaid along side Jassu and Keepa. Following behind them was the rest of the ships occupants, most just as tired as the three Aurochs ahead of them.  
  
"I am going to sleep the entire day away. Any of you even try to wake me and I'll rip you're arms off, you hear?" Jassu muttered irritably.  
  
Kenzi gave a snort of laughter. "Won't be me. I bet I'll end up sleeping way longer then you do." She rolled her aching shoulders and looked over her shoulder at Rikku who was slowly approaching them, her shoulders slouched in weariness. "But then again Jassu," she said, an idea forming in her tired mind, "if you had something to cuddle I bet you would never leave that bed."  
  
Jassu gave her an odd look and she threw a pointed glance at Rikku as she started to move past him. His tired eyes suddenly became bright and a huge, goofy grin spread across his face. With an animal like growl he lunged forward, picking up a shrieking Rikku and cradling her in his muscular arms. "Woman! You're coming with me!" he commanded.  
  
Rikku gasped as she stared up at him, her cheeks growing bright red. "You shouldn't say things like that Jassu," she whispered urgently, "it's not decent. We're not even together."  
  
Jassu looked thoughtful for a minute, frowning as he stared up ahead of them. A second later the goofy smile was back and he was staring down into Rikku's startled face. "So go out with me then."  
  
The little blond Al Bhed stared up at Jassu in wide-eyed shock. "I..I- ."  
  
As she stammered away Kenzi made a disgusted sound and slid a sideways glance at the bleach blond man. "That was your romantic idea?" she asked incredulously.  
  
Jassu shrugged. "I'm more of a 'go on impulse' guy." He looked back down at Rikku, giving her a small shake in attempts to pull her out of her daze. "So?"  
  
Rikku slowly raised bright green pleasure filled eyes to him and smiled. "Okay."  
  
The two shared a sweet kiss, both of them smiling like two lovesick teenagers and Kenzi laughed softly, turning away and increasing her speed to give the new couple some time alone. She sighed softly, gazing up at the many stars twinkling in the midnight blue sky, capriciously wondering if anyone was up there watching out for them, protecting them from hungry fiends. Before she knew it they were in the village and each of the team members started to go their own way, calling out soft goodbyes.  
  
Kenzi stopped dead in her tracks and stared at the town, apprehension twisting her gut. Where was she going to sleep? She had just arrived there yesterday by airship before they had left for Zanarkand and hadn't had a chance to secure a place to stay. And she was so tired! All she wanted to do was find some place comfortable to rest her aching body.  
  
"Don't have a place to stay do you?" Tidus asked, coming up beside her with a half asleep Yuna tucked securely under his arm.  
  
"Actually no. Is there an Inn somewhere?"  
  
Tidus shook his head. "Checked it this morning before we left. Every bed is taken. Lots of people came for the game."  
  
Kenzi dropped her head in defeat. It looked as if she would be making the sand her bed tonight. Oh well, she had had worse.  
  
"You could stay at Wakka's."  
  
The strawberry blond turned to see Lulu approaching them. Wakka was at her side, looking for the entire world like he was about to fall flat on his face from exhaustion. "No. I couldn't impose on him like that," she started to protest, only half meaning what she said. Silently she was saying "hell yes I'll stay with Wakka!" but saying something like that out loud would probably be a bad move on her part.  
  
Lulu gave her a smile. The gesture startled Kenzi and once again set her at unease. For some reason she knew that smile was not genuine. She steeled herself for what the woman was going to say next.  
  
"Oh, but I insist. Besides, Wakka will be staying with me so his place will be free for you to use."  
  
Okay, she had not steeled herself enough for that. Kenzi's heart sank and her eyes immediately sought out Wakka. The Auroch Captain was staring at Lulu as if she had just grown two heads. His mouth moved but no words came out.  
  
'Come on Wakka. Tell her no! After that moment on the ship how could you say yes? How could you?' Kenzi's mind screamed.  
  
"It's settled then. Wakka will come with me and you can have his place. Come Wakka, I'm tired," the dark mage said, looping her arm though his and giving it a hard jerk.  
  
Wakka threw an apologetic look over his shoulder but followed the dark haired woman across the sand.  
  
Kenzi drew in a ragged breath, forcing herself to remain calm. She would not let this get to her. It was such a minor thing. So he was staying with the woman whom so obviously hated her, she could deal with that.  
  
Yuna gained her attention, placing a hand lightly on her shoulder. "Kenzi, I'm sorry," she murmured.  
  
The Al Bhed shook her head and smiled. "It's okay. So where is Wakka's place?"  
  
Yuna and Tidus exchanged worried looks, and then hesitantly lead her into the village, showing her into a well sized hut on the other side of the small village. Kenzi bade them goodnight and entered the hut. Two beds were on either side, a dresser sitting against the wall between them. One bed was made while the other held several blitzballs, a few articles of clothing and worn pair of sandals. Far to the left was a small washing area with several teal colored towels hanging from a long towel rack.  
  
Kenzi let her bag slide off her shoulder and land with a dull thud on the floor. She wished Wakka was here with her. Why hadn't he said anything? Why hadn't he told Lulu about what had happened between them? There would be so much less confusion if he would have just said something. Sighing, Kenzi pulled off her boots and replaced her bikini top with an overly large t-shirt that had once belonged to her brother then she went to the bed, pulled down the covers and crawled under them, pulling them back up around her chin once she was comfortable.  
  
The bed was fit to him, she could tell that right away. There was a dip that could have been formed only from his large, muscular body. A smile graced her features as she buried her nose in the pillow, inhaling his scent. It was so unique, a mixture of wilderness, sand and the sweet salty tang of the sea. Well, if she couldn't be with him at least she could have this. With a smile still on her face, she snuggled further into the blankets and fell fast asleep. 


	6. Festivities and Revelations

Festivities and Revelations  
  
Kenzi sat in front of the large bon fire that had been built right outside of town, hugging her knees and watching people as they talked, laughed and danced around her. It had been five days since their arrival back in the village of Besaid, five days of non-stop festivities, and five days of tense silence between herself and Wakka. It was almost unbearable for Kenzi. She had so many questions, so many doubts but could never get him alone to ask him what exactly was going on between them. Had he just been teasing her or was there more to his simple yet heart melting kiss then that?  
  
Things between her and the rest of the Aurochs carried on as usual. Her, Botta and Datto had spent most of those five nights staying up late and playing card games in Wakka's hut. The two had noticed her quietness and had taken it upon their selves to try and cheer her up. One particular night, when Botta and Datto's moods were just about as low as her own, they had demanded Keepa join them and switched from their regular poker game to something a little more risqué. A drinking game..or two actually.  
  
Botta had switched their game sometime during the night when they were all intoxicated enough to agree to a game of strip poker, complete with his very own set of rules. When it got obvious that their goalie was loosing, they laughingly called it quits and sat up talking until four in the morning.  
  
Kenzi had learned so much about them that night. Their pasts, what had brought them where they were today, the friendship they shared that ran so deeply in their blood and she had fallen in love with all of them. They reminded her so much of her brother. When she had woke up with a splitting headache late the next morning, vowing never to drink again, she had looked down at the floor only to see that Botta and Keepa were sprawled across it. Datto had been the only one with enough ambition to clear off the other bed, or clear off half of the other bed and curl up at the foot of it.  
  
Kenzi laughed softly as she remembered that night, continuing to stare into the dancing flames. Lost to her thoughts she didn't notice Yuna walking up and taking a seat beside her. It wasn't until the summoner delicately cleared her throat that Kenzi stopped staring at the fire and looked up. "Oh, hey Yuna," she said, smiling warmly at yet another person who had become a close friend. She had spent many mornings in Yuna's company, listening to her stories as they walked through the woods of Besaid and telling a few of her own. They had become very close.  
  
"Hi Kenzi," Yuna replied, returning her smile. "You've been very quiet tonight. Is everything okay?"  
  
The blond Al Bhed looked out over the sand, noticing one couple in particular. Wakka and Lulu. They were sitting with Tidus and another man Kenzi didn't recognize and everyone but Lulu seemed to be involved in the conversation going on between them. Wakka turned his head as if he had sensed that she was looking at him and their eyes caught. Kenzi's heart lurched. Even across the distance she could still see something flash in his eyes, something that made her ache to be near him. But she couldn't be with him. Lulu was. She swallowed hard, forcing herself to turn away and look at Yuna. "Yeah, I'm okay. I just have a lot on my mind."  
  
Yuna smiled in understanding. "I know. If you need to get away from all of this, there's a spot behind the temple. It's a small beach, very secluded. It's where I go to think sometimes. You should go. It looks like you need a little time away from all of this." She gestured around them at the mass of people.  
  
"Thank you so much Yuna," Kenzi whispered, leaning over and wrapping her arms around the smaller woman in a friendly hug.  
  
"You're welcome. Go. If anyone asks where you went I'll make up some wild story."  
  
Kenzi laughed and stood, brushing sand off her short khaki skirt and straightening her denim colored bikini top. "Make sure it's insane enough to believe," she murmured, casting one last longing glance at Wakka before she turned and quietly made her way to the temple, throwing several glances over her shoulder to make sure no one saw where she was going. Yuna had been right, she needed this time alone. Her emotions were tearing her up and because of the all-week-party going on she hadn't had any time alone to try and figure things out. She needed to gain control. The evil inside of her could feel her slipping. It was just waiting for its opportunity. She couldn't let that happen though.  
  
She crept around the side of the temple, noticing a small path that lead through the trees. "This must be it," she observed softly, pushing aside the thick foliage and making her way down a slight slope to a small beach that overlooked the calm sea. Kenzi kicked off her shoes and dug her toes into the cool sand, taking a deep cleansing breath.  
  
~You're going to have to do more then that dear,~ the evil infesting her whispered, it's sickening voice invading her head.  
  
"Shut up," Kenzi muttered.  
  
~Whether you like it or not I'm coming. I can sense those horrible human emotions of yours. You're falling apart. And when you do, I'll be right there taking over your beautiful body and making you nothing more then a mindless thing for me to control.~  
  
Kenzi placed her hands over her ears, trying to shut out its voice. "I said shut up!" she screamed, sinking to her knees on the white sand. She had to be strong. The survival of Spira and its inhabitants depended on it. She could risk no mistakes. But it was so hard. Her feelings for Wakka were only getting stronger and there was nothing she could do to stop it.  
  
~You had better figure out something child. Maybe this will help.~ Blinding pain shot through her body. Kenzi swallowed an agonize scream and doubled over, clutching her stomach. ~Imagine this pain times ten. That's what every pathetic being in Spira will feel if you fail to control your feelings. The very second you break down completely, they will all know it.~  
  
Struggling to keep herself from crying, Kenzi drew in deep ragged breaths. She had to fight this thing. She had no choice. A giggle broke the silence and Kenzi's head whipped up just as Jassu and Rikku burst through the bushes. Both of them came to an abrupt stop, seeing Kenzi huddled on the sandy beach.  
  
"Kenzi?" Rikku questioned in a small voice.  
  
The older Al Bhed quickly got to her feet, trying to block out the pain that was starting to consume her. Her legs were trembling uncontrollably and she knew they wouldn't hold her for long. She gave the two a pleading look before her legs gave out and she started to fall forward.  
  
Rikku and Jassu were there to catch her, slowly lowering her to the ground. "Kenzi, what the hell is going on?" Jassu asked, a note of panic in his deep voice.  
  
"Just give me a second," Kenzi ground out between clenched teeth. She shut her eyes, taking control and forcing the pain to subside. It seemed to take forever but soon all that was left of the pain was an ache at the base of her skull. She opened her eyes and sighed, thankful that, for the moment, the evil had chosen to leave her alone. "Okay, sorry about that guys." She laughed nervously and stood again. This time her legs remained steady. "I'm not really sure what came over me."  
  
Rikku gave her a hard look, crossing her arms over her chest. "Bullshit."  
  
Kenzi gaped at her. She didn't even know Rikku used words like that. "What?"  
  
"I said bullshit. Something was happening to you Kenzi. Something big. Now I've known you since I was six. I think you owe me of all people an explanation."  
  
Kenzi stared at her a moment longer, then her shoulder drooped and she sighed. "Okay," she murmured in an almost inaudible voice. "I'll tell you. You might want to sit down. It will take a while."  
  
Jassu and Rikku nodded simultaneously and followed Kenzi's lead as she sat back down. Kenzi took a deep breath and began her tale. "After Sin took my family away from me I didn't have anywhere to go. Home had been destroyed. I didn't even know if the Al Bhed Psyches were still a team. All I knew was that I couldn't stay where I was. Sin would eventually come. So I packed what was left of my belongings and began to walk. I figured if I just kept moving I would always be able to avoid Sin. I walked for a long time, sometimes staying at Inn's, sometimes people would take me in, and other times I would sleep outside.  
  
It seemed like I had been walking forever when I came across this thing. I think I was somewhere around Mt. Gagazet. I couldn't really remember. I had been walking so long. I passed by this cliff and carved into its base was a man. I couldn't really figure out what he was. I knew it was a man though. I could make out a face, long hands..but that was about it. I was curious so I touched it. I ran my hand over the face. He looked so happy. I missed seeing happy faces. But as soon as I touched it something happened.  
  
I can remember pain, a lot of pain. Light surrounded me, closing in around me and the statue started to fade, eventually disappearing completely. Then after that this laugh filled my head. It was evil, pure evil and when it spoke it was the most sickening voice I had ever heard. It..it never gave a name. It just told me that it was the thing that would eventually destroy me." Kenzi paused when she felt a hand cover hers. She looked up into Rikku's concerned gaze and tried to give her an encouraging smile but failed miserably.  
  
"What did it say?" Jassu asked, moving over to sit beside her and wrapping an arm loosely around her shoulders. Rikku did the same, but instead of wrapping her arm around Kenzi she held her hand. It was almost like the smaller Al Bhed was trying to give her strength.  
  
Kenzi bowed her head and continued. "When this happened it had been a month since the death of my family. I had moved passed it. I still missed them but I had accepted their deaths, knowing there was nothing I could have done. When..when this thing entered my body it knew what I was feeling. It sensed my weakness and saw the walls I had built around it. In that he found his escape. He said that if I ever gave in to the sadness, to the heartbreak he would be freed and he would use me to carry out his revenge on the people of Spira. So..if I ever allow myself to break down, like completely break down, he'll be there. He'll take over my body and use it to destroy everything."  
  
Rikku gasped, her eyes widening in horrified shock. "Kenzi, that's horrible!" she cried.  
  
The only thing Kenzi could do was nod. She knew how terrible it was. She was the one who had been living with it for so long.  
  
"So what was happenin' to you when we showed up?" Jassu asked.  
  
Kenzi dropped her head to her knees, keeping her gaze trained on the tiny sparkling grains of sand. "He was giving me a taste of the pain every living being in Spira would suffer if I fail to remain strong. I.I started to slip, started to loose control. I guess he knew it and felt the need to remind me of what would happened."  
  
Rikku stared at the older Al Bhed, her heart twisting as she listened to Kenzi's tragic story. How could she live like that with something so awful festering inside of her? "Isn't there some way you can get rid of it?"  
  
Kenzi shook her head sadly. "I confided in a friend of mine, a young priest. He said the only way to rid myself of such evil..was to die." She lifted her head, her vacant eyes staring out across the water. "I'm not ready to die yet. I would rather spend the rest of my life fighting," she whispered.  
  
Jassu hugged the young woman who he had begun to think of as a little sister, playing her words over in his mind. Something wasn't right about them. Why would she loose control? Hadn't she just said that she had gotten over the death of her parents before this evil thing had come into the picture? "Kenzi, what's wrong?" he asked cautiously, his gut telling him that there was more to it then what she was telling them.  
  
She looked up at him blankly. "What do you mean?"  
  
"You said you almost lost control, but you also said you were over the death of your family. What happened? Did someone hurt you?"  
  
"No. Not intentionally. I don't even think he knows...how I feel about him."  
  
Beside Kenzi Rikku's hand flew over her gaping mouth. "It's...it's Wakka isn't it?"  
  
Jassu gave his girlfriend a startled look while Kenzi immediately got to her feet and started walking for the path back to the village. She didn't want to deal with this. Not right now. She had finally gained the upper hand against the evil. She needed to keep it that way.  
  
"Kenzi, is that true?" Jassu asked.  
  
Biting back a curse, Kenzi fixed a smile on her face and turned to face them. "Please, I can't talk about this right now. Can we just get back to the party and try to have a good time?" Jassu opened his mouth to speak and she held up a hand, cutting him off. "Please Jassu. I can't do this right now. Yes it is true, but please don't make me talk about it. At least not right now, okay?"  
  
Reluctantly the tall Auroch nodded, getting up and helping Rikku to her feet. They exchanged a sad look, each of them feeling deep sorrow for what their friend was going through. But they couldn't do anything about it. It was her fight. So they joined her, walking back into the village where the entire populace was still going strong. The bonfire had grown considerably and with the children tucked away safely for the night, things had started to get a little wilder then before.  
  
The group of three crossed the sand to where Keepa, Botta and Datto were gathered around a table of drinks and food. "Hey guys. Where you been?" Botta asked as they approached, handing them each a drink.  
  
Kenzi took the offered drink and smiled up at the handsome redhead. "We were just out walking around. You know, getting away from the crazy people, like you guys."  
  
"Ooh! Watch out guys. She's got wit!" Botta remarked dryly, dragging her into a loose headlock.  
  
Kenzi giggled softly. She wasn't even going to try to struggle. Instead she leaned against him and took small sips of her drink. "So what's in this?" she asked, watching a group of men set up a collection of bongos in various sizes a ways from the fire.  
  
"Not enough to get you drunk hun. After listening to you mutter, 'never again' all mornin' I figured a hard drink would be the last thing you wanted."  
  
"You're a good man Botta," Kenzi said laughingly. Her eyes followed the movements of the group of bongo players gathering in a large circle. They talked back and forth for a moment then began to play a wild jungle beat. Several people cheered, others moved eagerly to the large area of sand in front of the talented musicians and started to dance. The beach was soon filled with happy, dancing couples.  
  
Kenzi was laughing at Tidus as he pulled a hesitant Yuna onto the sandy dance floor when her drink was taken from her and a strong arm wrapped around her waist.  
  
"Whadaya say legs? Want to dance?" Botta asked, managing to look slightly shy.  
  
Kenzi gave him a genuine smile, her first one of the evening and quite possibly the entire day. "Sure. See if you can keep up!" Laughing, she ran out to join the crowd of dancers. Botta easily caught up to her and wrapped his arms around her from behind, swinging her in a crazy circle.  
  
"They're like a bunch of kids, ya?" Datto said, jokingly rolling his eyes.  
  
Rikku smiled at the couple. They had quit trying to wrestle each other to the ground and were now dancing, their movements in perfect sync with the music and one another. "It looks like they're having fun." She turned and looked hopefully up at Jassu.  
  
She didn't even have to say a word. After a long, suffering sigh the bleach blond Auroch picked Rikku up and slung her body over his tattooed shoulder, stalking across the sand. "You two comin'?" he shouted over Rikku's shrieking laughter.  
  
Keepa and Datto looked at each other, shrugged and went to join the insanity.  
  
An hour and a half later the dancing had begun the captain of the Besaid Aurochs quietly took a seat on one of the logs placed around the dying fire. He lacked his usual attire, wearing instead a pair of worn jean shorts and a white shirt that he had left unbuttoned, exposing his muscular chest and washboard stomach. He was alone and beyond glad about it. One more minute stuck with Lulu and he was going to lose it. She had been overly controlling and bitter all week. Wakka had to wonder why he had put up with it. Why did he continue to endure the constant bitchiness, the insults, sleeping outside when he could have been in his own bed, possibly sharing it with someone who actually wanted to be with him?  
  
His eyes scanned the mass of undulating bodies until he found the one he was looking for. Kenzi. She was dancing with the entire team, including Yuna and Rikku. Her strawberry blonde hair had been pulled up, the five tiny feathers dangling from a messy ponytail. He watched her body move seductively to the beat of the bongos and for the millionth time that week had to refrain from kicking himself. He should have said something on their walk back to the village but words had failed him. He tried to ask himself why he hadn't said no to Lulu but sadly he already knew the answer.  
  
When Tidus had shown up out of no where, real as the day they had met, Yuna had spent every waking hour with him and slowly stopped spending time with Lulu. Wakka didn't blame Yuna. He probably would have done the same thing in her situation. But her actions had caused Lulu to become very cynical and cold hearted. At least he thought that was the reason why Lu had changed so much. So he stayed with her, trying to make her feel better. It was becoming apparent that his attentiveness was not working. If anything, Lulu had just become more frigid. A man could only take so much.  
  
He looked up at Kenzi again, a small smile playing on his lips as he watched her laugh at something Tidus had said. She suddenly stopped laughing and her gaze went to him. He saw sadness pass through their gray- blue depths and his heart dropped. He knew he was the reason for that sadness. His actions must have confused her so much. She hadn't talked to him all week. Yeah, it was his fault that she was sad. Her lips turned up in a smile and she waved at him. He half heartedly waved back, wishing he could pull her from the crowd, take her some place quiet and just explain everything to her.  
  
"Wakka, are you coming to bed or not?"  
  
He lifted his head and his heart chilled as his eyes met the cold depths of Lulu's. "Yeah," he muttered. "I'm coming." He gave one last longing look to the beautiful woman who had crept into his heart, then stood and followed Lulu to her hut.  
  
"So back to your place?" Datto asked Kenzi as he, Botta, Keepa and the spunky Al Bhed walked slowly through the silent village of Besaid. The dancing had long since ended and the four Aurochs were the only ones still awake.  
  
Kenzi shook her head. "Sorry guys. Not tonight. I'm really tired and I just want a bit of time alone."  
  
They all nodded in understanding. Each of them had an inkling of what Kenzi felt towards their captain and they knew that what she was going through was anything but fun. "You bet legs. We'll get together tomorrow night." Botta said, ruffling her ponytail lightly.  
  
Kenzi smiled and used one arm to hug him. "Thanks a lot. I'll see you all in the morning."  
  
They all said their goodnights and went back to their own homes. Kenzi's being the farthest; she was the last one left walking. She took her time, wrapping her arms around herself to ward off the chill of the late evening and humming softly. She was three huts away from her own when she heard an angry female voice coming from the hut she was next to brake through the silence of the night. She knew that voice. It was Lulu. She stopped and even though it was against her nature, she listened.  
  
"I can't believe you have been sleeping outside! Is my bed not good enough for you?" The mage demanded, her angry voice carrying clearly to Kenzi.  
  
"You're so damn cold I'm afraid I'd spend the night freezin' my ass off!" came Wakka's furious response.  
  
"So I'm cold now, am I? I suppose that little Al Bhed brat you have been watching would be much warmer, wouldn't she?"  
  
"Don't bring Kenzi into this Lu. You know damn well this is not about her. This is about you."  
  
Silence filled the air and Kenzi started to nervously chew on her finger. She should go, but something held her in place.  
  
"No Wakka," came Lulu's voice, dangerously low. "This is not about me. It's about us. You know, you are so different from your brother. Chappu would have never talked to me the way you do."  
  
"Well, I'm not Chappu." Wakka growled.  
  
"You're right. You're not. I should have realized that when we started this horrible excuse for a relationship. I should have realized that you could never fill Chappu's place in my heart. What a fool I was to believe that you could."  
  
"So you were only using me."  
  
Kenzi gasped, her heart aching for the pain she heard in his hollow voice. "Oh Wakka," she whispered. She had to go. She had to go now before he came out and saw her. Turning, she walked on trembling legs back to Wakka's hut and ducked inside. She quickly turned on a small light sphere, filling the room with a warm glow and sat down on the bed, crossing her legs underneath her. She wasn't sure how much time had passed when the sound of footsteps carried to her ears. Sandaled footsteps. Her breath caught in her throat and she stared up at the cloth door, her heart hammering as the anticipation grew.  
  
The thick cloth was pushed back and Wakka stepped in, coming to an abrupt stop when he saw Kenzi staring at him from her spot on the bed. "Hey," he said softly. "I thought you'd be asleep."  
  
Kenzi shook her head. He looked so tired. So tired and so sad. Her heart went out to him. She wanted to make him feel better. A sudden idea came to her head. It was risky but what did she have to loose? "What are you doing here?" she almost whispered.  
  
Wakka ran his hands through his hair and sighed. "Me and Lu got into it. I guess it's safe to say we're over so I decided to come back home. You okay with that?"  
  
'It's now or never.' Kenzi swallowed hard and uncrossed her legs, swinging them over the bed and slowly getting to her feet. With her heart in her throat she crossed the floor to where he stood, never taking her eyes from his. She stopped in front of him and stared up into his pain filled eyes. She could make that pain go away. She could give them what she was convinced they both wanted. "I.I heard everything. I was walking back here and I guess I was kind of in the wrong place at the wrong time."  
  
Wakka continued to stare at her, his brows drawing over his amber colored eyes.  
  
"Don't be mad," she whispered. Taking a deep, steadying breath she reached out and took his large hand in her smaller one. She looked down at it, noticing how big and strong it was. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry you had to feel that kind of betrayal. But," she once again she raised her eyes to his. "She's right. You're not your brother. You're Wakka. And you'll always be Wakka...to me."  
  
The tall captain was shocked by her words. He stared down into her stormy eyes and saw so much. Compassion, lust, kindness and then there was the one thing he never expected to see. An invitation. It was an invitation that set his heart racing unsteadily, that scared the hell out of him and an invitation that he could not possibly turn down. She wanted him and she was allowing him to see that. "Kenzi," he whispered hoarsely before he gave in to the temptation that had haunted him all week.  
  
Kenzi almost cried out in sheer delight when his strong arms wrapped around her and his lips came down on hers, hard and demanding. He started pushing her back, walking with her until her back was pressed against the dresser. Sinful desire poured through her, commanding her body to move, to take. She wound her arms around his neck pressing herself against his hard, unyielding body. God, she needed more. She needed to feel as close to him as possible.  
  
As if he knew what she was thinking, his hands traveled restlessly down her back, moving over her bottom and kneading the flesh through her skirt. He picked her up and Kenzi wrapped her long legs tightly around his waist. She ran her hands though his soft hair, greedily deepening the already intense kiss, nipping at his bottom lip, running her tongue sensuously against his. He tasted so good; she could not get enough of him. He groaned into her mouth and Kenzi's blood heated, running like lava through her veins.  
  
*~*~*~Where the real lemon starts~*~*~*  
  
He broke the kiss and moved to her neck, grazing the soft flesh with his teeth, pulling sweet gasps of pleasure from her lips with his tongue. Kenzi dropped her head back, a captive to the passion that was consuming her. Wakka moved one arm to support her body and lifted his free hand, running it roughly over her bare stomach, gripping a firm breast. Kenzi moaned in utter abandon, loving the feel of his hands on her body. She thought nothing could feel so good until he roughly yanked her top aside and replaced his hand with his mouth, his tongue expertly moving over the taut peak of her breast. And still she wanted more. Impatient hands pulled at his shirt and he set her down, allowing her to take his shirt off and throw it on the floor.  
  
Kenzi ran her hands over his warm flesh, needing to touch every inch of his body. When he pulled back she almost cried out in disappointment until she saw the raw hunger burning in his eyes. He placed his hands on her hips letting them rest there for a brief, agonizing second before he slid them around her back. His fingers deftly untied the knots securing her top. Unashamed, Kenzi shrugged it off, a cat like smile curving her full lips when she saw lust flare in his eyes. Maybe she should tease him a little; it could prove to be fun.  
  
She backed away from him and ran her hands over her body, closing her eyes and sighing softly. When she reached the button of her skirt she looked back at him, not surprised to see his mouth slightly agape. She laughed seductively and undid her skirt, sliding it ever so slowly down her long legs. Next came her flimsy underwear and then there was nothing left to hide herself from his wandering eyes.  
  
Wakka quickly closed the gap between them, picking her up and carrying her to his bed. He pulled back the covers and gently placed her on the bed, coming down on top her. She thought that maybe his large body would crush hers but instead the weight was welcomed, further intensifying the ache that had knotted itself in the pit of her stomach. The hot bare skin of his chest and stomach pressed against hers and Kenzi reveled in the erotic feelings that coursed through her.  
  
Resting his weight on the one arm that was holding him up, Wakka gently pushed Kenzi's bangs out of her face. God, she was so beautiful. He couldn't even believe this was happening. It was the last thing he had expected to come home to. "You sure you want to do this?" he asked.  
  
Kenzi's smile was blinding. Her gray eyes, darkened with passion, stared into his. "Yes Wakka. This is what I want. What I have wanted for quite some time," she purred, reaching up and pulling his face down to hers for another searing kiss. As she kissed him, she curiously reached down between them, brushing the tips of her fingers over the quivering muscles of his stomach. Shyly, she reached down further and brushed her fingers against him, then wrapped her fingers around him as best she could through the rough fabric of his shorts and gently squeezed.  
  
Wakka gasped and buried his head in the curve of her neck as her hand moved, explored, drove him almost to the edge of his control. Once he had regained a semblance of composure he turned his head and ran his tongue over the sensitive skin just below her ear. "We play this game, we play it fair," he murmured as his large, capable hand moved up over her leg and brushed against the curls at the apex of her thighs.  
  
Kenzi released a small cry and hesitantly allowed him to part her legs. She bit her lip, waiting for what would come next and was not disappointed. His fingers stroked her softly, expertly, moving over her feminine flesh and slowly increasing the pressure. Kenzi was reduced to a writhing mass, her body his to command. One finger entered her and Kenzi released a loud moan, arching her hand wantonly against the palm of his hand. When it became too much to tolerate she moved her head back and forth on the pillow, softly calling out to him. "Wakka, please.."  
  
He stopped what he was doing and smiled down at her. "Please?"  
  
"I want you," she whispered. To prove how badly she reached down and undid his shorts, impatiently pushing them over his slim waist. He helped her when she could not push any further and tossed the remainder of his clothing on top of hers, then pulled the blankets up around them. Kenzi looked up at him, the lust burning in her own eyes reflected in his. "I want you now." She wrapped her strong legs around him again, smiling when she saw him close his eyes and heard his breath catch. "Do you want me?"  
  
His lids slowly opened and his intense gaze bore into hers. "All week. It wasn't a whole lotta fun trying to keep myself away from you."  
  
"You wont have to do that anymore," she murmured, reaching up and cradling his face in the palm of her hand. "Wakka, make love to me."  
  
As soon as the words left her mouth, she felt immense pressure slowly start to fill her. Unable to wait any longer she arched her hips up to meet his, crying out as he filled her. Wakka captured her lips, his tongue dancing with hers as he began to move within her. Kenzi's breath became labored. She clutched at him, digging her nails into his skin, drowning in his own deep groans of pleasure as they moved together, their bodies complimenting one another's perfectly, fitting together as if they had always meant to. Something deep inside of her started building, the strain becoming almost unbearable. She moved with him, taking, giving, and sharing her body and soul with the man she had craved for so long.  
  
Wakka's arm came around her, pressing her body against his and Kenzi clung to him, feeling the pressure within her continually build until finally, with one hard thrust she shattered. She screamed out her lovers name and fell back against the sheets. Seconds later Wakka joined her in her sated pleasure, her name leaving his lips in a rough gasp as he fell on top of her, their slick bodies pressed intimately together.  
  
*~*~*~End of lemon~*~*~*  
  
Kenzi's ragged breathing slowly returned to normal and a satisfied smile curved her full lips, slightly swollen from Wakka's kisses. She floated somewhere between heaven and earth, never wanting to come down, bathing in the blissful afterglow of their lovemaking. It was only when she felt his eyes on hers that she bade paradise goodbye and came back to reality. When she languidly stretched, lifting her arms over her head and emitting a tiny squeak she heard Wakka's deep chuckle and opened her eyed, turning her head to look at him.  
  
"Hey," he murmured softly. His rough fingertips brushed over her stomach, tracing patterns across her flesh and Kenzi smiled contentedly.  
  
"Oh Wakka, that was so wonderful," she cried softly, turning into his embrace and nuzzling his neck with her nose. "I dreamt it would be amazing..but never that amazing."  
  
"You dreamt about it, huh?" Wakka asked, not admitting that he too had dreamt about it, even when he was wide awake. His mind had been occupied with her, having her, anything to do with her all week even though he couldn't, or thought he couldn't have had her. "Kenzi," he said, pulling back slightly.  
  
She regarded him inquisitively, her sweet smile refusing to leave her face. Wakka couldn't believe his luck. He had expected her to be mad at him, to give him the silent treatment. Never had he actually expected to have her comfort him, to be there for him when he was at his worst after all he had put her through..to so willingly give herself to him. Cradling her face in the palm of his hand he brushed a thumb over her bottom lip, smiling when she placed a soft kiss on it. "I'm sorry for puttin' you through all that. I shoulda said somethin' when we were comin' back to the village. I'm sorry I didn't.  
  
"You don't have to be sorry." She draped a long leg over his, tickling his calve with her toes.  
  
"Yeah I do. I know I hurt you. Don't even try actin' like I didn't. You've been avoidin' me all week."  
  
Kenzi's gaze settled on his chest as the smile disappeared from her face. "Why didn't you? I thought..I thought after what happened on the ship-." Her voice trailed off.  
  
"I didn't say anything cuz..I guess I just felt sorry for Lu. Her, me and Yuna..we've been together a long time, you know? Yuna bein' with Tidus and all..she doesn't spend much time with Lu anymore so I guess I just figured it was up to me to keep her happy."  
  
Kenzi looked up at him and gave him a weak smile before cautiously saying, "I don't think it worked."  
  
"Yeah. Kinda surprised I didn't figure out she was usin' me earlier," Wakka muttered.  
  
"Well, think about it this way," Kenzi said, wrapping her arm around his waist. "What bad came from you guys breaking up?"  
  
Wakka grinned at the spunky Al Bhed in his arms. "I'm in bed with you, ya?" he replied, unable to resist teasing her.  
  
Kenzi uttered a spurious gasp and assaulted him lightly with her fists. Laughing, he pulled her body up against his, holding her tightly as he growled and playfully bit her neck.  
  
"Wakka! St.stop it!" Kenzi managed though her irrepressible giggles. "You..you're such.an animal!"  
  
"I'm the animal? Look who's talkin'!"  
  
She pulled back, staring at him in confusion. Still giving her that sinfully adorable smirk, he gestured over his shoulder. Kenzi sat up. She grabbed Wakka's arm and pulled him close to her, peering over his shoulder. This time when she gasped it was real. Her wide eyes traveled over his back where four vicious looking scratches ran from his left shoulder blade down over his back and ended just above his hip on the right side.  
  
"Oh.Oh Wakka! I'm so sorry!" she cried, releasing him and burring her face in her hands, absolutely mortified that she had done such a thing to him without even knowing it.  
  
Wakka shook his head and pulled the blonde back into his arms. "Don't worry so much Kenzi. Didn't even feel it."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yeah, really."  
  
Silence filled the cozy hut, as the two lay entwined in each other's arms and legs. Only the sound of the waves washing up on the shore could be heard, lulling the couple into a deep slumber.  
  
"Wakka?" Kenzi whispered drowsily before sleep fully claimed her.  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"When you were sleeping outside..you know, all this week..what did you dream about?"  
  
She felt his lips brush against her forehead then come down and press against her own. The kiss was achingly tender and full of emotion. When he broke it, he smiled down at her and very simply stated, "This."  
  
"Oh," Kenzi murmured. Smiling, she snuggled closer to Wakka and happily allowed sleep to claim her. 


	7. One Last Day of Celebration

Thank you everyone for your patients. I know it was taking me forever to do this but there's been a lot of stuff going on. As some of you know, Ari, Echo..and a few others, my great uncle passed away last week. Along with that my parents are moving away from me as well as my sister. Damn depressing time to write. But I pulled it off!! Misty, thanks for breathing down my neck to get this done. I'm sorry it took so long. A warning, there is a lemon in here. I marked it so you can skip right over it if you want to. Those of you who are a little more brave..a bit more risqué then others, I hope you will enjoy it. So far it's my baby. I worked very hard on it and the rest of the chapter of course. So hasta luego! I'm off for the night. Enjoy the read folks!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own a damn thing!! Lol  
  
One Last Day of Celebration  
  
Whistling softly to himself, a towel tucked under his muscular arm, Botta crossed the village to wake Kenzi up so they could all go swimming like they had agreed on the previous day. He didn't bother calling out a warning. He knew her too well. She slept through pretty much anything. Pushing the cloth door open he walked in and took a deep breath, ready to yell but immediately stopped when he saw the leggy Al Bhed curled up in the arms of Wakka. "No way," he breathed, a huge smile splitting his face.  
  
He silently backed out of the hut and looked around almost frantically for any of his other teammates. As if on cue, Datto and Keepa ambled slowly out of a near by hut. Botta put his fingers to his lips and whistled loudly, motioning for them to come over after their heads had snapped up in his direction. They crossed the ground at a tired jog, smiling when they reached him. "Hey, what's goin' on?" Datto asked. "Kenzi up yet?"  
  
Botta shook his head. "Nope, but you gotta see this." Once again he pushed the cloth door aside, leading the two into the hut. As soon ad Datto caught a glimpse of Wakka and Kenzi he burst out laughing.  
  
Keepa scratched the back of his head, blushing slightly. "Bout damn time these two figured things out," he muttered, elbowing Botta.  
  
Datto's laughter pulled Wakka from his sleep and the muscular red head slowly opened his eye, doing a double take when he saw Datto, Botta and Keepa gathered around the bed. "What the-."  
  
"Now is it what it looks like?" Botta asked, his shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter.  
  
As if things couldn't get any worse for poor Wakka the door opened yet again and Jassu stumbled in, yawning and stretching his arms above his head. "Hey guys. Need help wakin' her-." His voice trailed off and his eyes went wide as he stared down at Wakka and the blond female still fast asleep in his arms. "Way to go capn'!!" he exclaimed proudly, giving Wakka a thumbs up.  
  
Kenzi finally started to stir. She muttered something incoherently and turned in Wakka's arms. "Mmm, what do you say we try what we did last night again?" She asked softly.  
  
Immediately the group of spectators broke out into fits of laughter. Wakka shook his head, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Kenzi, time to wake up," he muttered, giving her a gentle shake. Her lids drifted open to reveal her gorgeous gray blue eyes. The smile on her face gradually started to disappear and she whipped around, confirming that she had not just been hearing voices. "Oh no." she muttered, burying her head against Wakka's chest. "Please tell me this is not happening."  
  
"Oh it's happenin' alright!" Jassu exclaimed, still laughing. "This time you two really are busted!"  
  
Wakka smiled, giving his friends a pleading look and motioning to the opening of the hut with a jerk of his head.  
  
"We get the point," Botta said, backing towards out with Keepa and Datto behind him.  
  
The last to leave was Jassu. He turned back to Wakka, shaking his head at Kenzi who was still trying to hide herself. "So you comin' with us then?"  
  
"Where?" Wakka asked, stifling a yawn.  
  
"Swimmin'. We kinda decided to do somethin'...you know, just the team. We're gonna hang out on the beach until later tonight when everything starts up again."  
  
"Sure. We'll be down in a bit, ya?"  
  
Jassu grinned. "Oh, take your time," he muttered suggestively.  
  
Wakka shot him a slightly hostile look and the blond Auroch quickly left, the sound of his laughter following him.  
  
A smile quickly replacing his scowl, the red haired captain looked down at the top of Kenzi's head. He could defiantly get used to waking up with her warm, supple body next to his. The fact that she was completely into cuddling had been a very pleasant surprise and yet another thing he hadn't expected from her. He'd never really...cuddled with a woman before but he was defiantly starting to like it. "Hey Kenzi," he called softly, feeling regretful that he had to end their time alone together so quickly. "You fall asleep?"  
  
Kenzi shook her head, still keeping it pressed against his chest. "That was so embarrassing," came her muffled voice. "They all heard what I said, didn't they?"  
  
"Yeah," Wakka answered, laughing when she groaned loudly. Several minutes passed and finally she raised her head to look at him. Her cheeks still glowed an adorable shade of pink and her disheveled hair hung over dark gray-blue eyes. Suddenly she smiled, an amazing smile that lit up the room and stole his breath. "You're still here."  
  
He nodded. It was all he was really capable of doing.  
  
"I thought I was just dreaming again," she murmured, her fingers playing lightly over his side and back.  
  
Wakka pulled her close, wrapping his arms tightly around her slim waits and deeply inhaling her unique scent. Rain and wild flowers. He'd never smelled anything so intoxicating before. "Maybe we should just stay in bed all day," he suggested sleepily.  
  
Kenzi giggled, not making any effort to pull free of his hold. "Wakka, I promised the guys I'd go swimming and hang out with them today. And you're the one who told Jassu we'd be there in a bit."  
  
Grumbling, Wakka gave in but only after making Kenzi promise to stay with him instead of sleeping at the Inn, which she had, of course, happily agreed to. They got out of bed and quickly got dressed, Wakka opting for the blue shorts he usually wore under his blitzball uniform and his sandals while Kenzi slipped into a dark blue bikini with deep purple swirls that tied around her neck and back. She wrapped a length of thin, sheer blue and purple fabric low around her waist and tied it in a loose knot at her hip. Leaving her feet bare, she pulled her hair up in a messy ponytail and grabbed Wakka's thick blue headband off the dresser.  
  
"Ready?" She asked, walking up to him. She reached up and slipped the headband over his wild hair then pulled it down over his eyes, laughing softly and raising on her tiptoes to press an affectionate kiss to his scruffy chin.  
  
Wakka pulled the band back up, making a big show out of adjusting it. When he was done he looked at her thoughtfully. "I'm missin' somethin'."  
  
"What?"  
  
The tall redhead thought for a moment, scratching the back of his head. "Oh yeah!" he said, giving Kenzi a lop sided grin and pulling her into his strong arms. He stared down into her eyes for only a brief second but it was enough for the blonde Al Bhed to become light headed. 'Will it always be like this? Will I always feel so deliciously weightless when he holds me so close?' she wondered as his lips came down on hers, gently coaxing, teasing until she opened for him with a sigh of surrender, deepening the kiss. His hand moved slowly up her arm, pausing to rub her shoulder, easing away whatever tenseness remained from sleep and then moving up to her neck, angling her head slightly for a deeper kiss.  
  
When the kiss ended Wakka rested his forehead on Kenzi's and smiled. "Now we can go," he said, his voice a bit shaky.  
  
Kenzi nodded still feeling dazed from the drugging effect of his kiss. "Yeah...okay, let's go."  
  
They grabbed two towels, Kenzi pulled her sunglasses out of her bag and together they left the cozy hut to greet the beautiful day. The bright cerulean sky was free of clouds and a diminutive breeze swept across the island, just cool enough to ward of the unbearable heat and make the temperature comfortable.  
  
As soon as Kenzi's bare feet hit the hot sandy pavement she knew that not grabbing her sandals had been a mistake. She sucked in a breath and started hoping from one foot to the other, looking for anywhere else to walk.  
  
Wakka laughed at her comical expression of panic. "Shoulda grabbed some shoes," he said, scooping her up in his strong arms and cradling her body against his.  
  
Kenzi smiled brightly and rested her head on his shoulder. "Nah. This was all part of my plan. I'm devious like that."  
  
Falling into a comfortable silence they made their way across the village. As they walked by Lulu's hut, the hut that Wakka had left in anger the previous night, the dark mage stepped out, her eyes immediately narrowing when they took in the sight of Wakka and Kenzi together. Kenzi's own eyes went wide and she swallowed hard, unconsciously tightening her hold on Wakka's neck.  
  
The tall man only spared his friend and ex lover an indifferent glance, nothing more, and continued to cross the village.  
  
Once out of her view Kenzi slowly released the breath she was holding and relaxed. "That was..uncomfortable," she muttered under her breath, once again resting her head on Wakka's broad shoulder.  
  
Wakka smiled wearily and dropped a light kiss on her forehead. "Yeah, it was a little uncomfortable. But seriously, how many drinks did you have last night? I don't know if I can hold....much...longer..." Wakka swayed from side to side pretending he was struggling with the load in his arms and Kenzi laughed. The tension was successfully broken.  
  
"You're such a smart ass," Kenzi muttered laughingly, rolling her eyes.  
  
Wakka smiled down at the beautiful burden he was carrying. "Yeah, but you like it."  
  
Kenzi's only replay to that was a secretive smile. If only he knew exactly how much she liked about him, how deep her feelings for him truly went and how long she had harbored them. 'Not now Kenz,' she told herself firmly, 'be happy with what you have at this moment and don't push your luck.'  
  
Lifting he head she saw Tidus and Yuna walking hand in hand towards the path that lead to the beach where blitzball practice was normally held. They were dressed much the same way as Wakka and Kenzi, Tidus wearing a pair of baggy dark gray shorts and Yuna dressed in a tasteful black bikini with a long magenta and purple wrap.  
  
Not thinking about the fact that Tidus and Yuna knew nothing of the events from the previous night or of the relationship that had formed between herself and Wakka, Kenzi waved tot hem. "Hey guys!" she called cheerfully.  
  
The younger couple turned at the sound of the Al Bhed's voice and their jaws dropped. Yuna was the first to recover, snapping her mouth shut and giving them a pleased smile. "Hello," she said back as she gently nudged Tidus in the arm with her elbow. "Don't look so surprised," she whispered. "You're the one who hoped they would get together."  
  
As Wakka approached them with Kenzi Tidus quickly shut his mouth and grinned, happy that the two had finally figured out they belonged together. "Hey. You two going down to the beach?"  
  
"Yup!" Kenzi replied. She murmured something in Wakka's ear, kissed his cheek and allowed him to put her down. Walking up to Yuna she slid her through the young summoners and started pulling her down the shaded path, calling out over her shoulder, "Hey Tidus, mind if I borrow your girlfriend? Thanks!"  
  
Smiling, Tidus shook his head and watched their retreating backs for a moment before turning to his good friend. "Still want to kick her out on that scrawny ass of hers or do you plan on doing something else with it?" he asked the taller man, hard pressed to hold his laughter in check.  
  
Wakka tore his gaze away from the enticing sway of Kenzi's hips and smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "Already done."  
  
That caught the young blitzer totally off guard. Once again his mouth dropped open and he gaped at his friend. "You...Kenzi..you mean...you guys..."  
  
Laughing, Wakka slapped Tidus on the back, almost knocking the younger man over. "Yeah. That okay with you?"  
  
Tidus threw him a smirk. "Yeah. Saw it coming all along! But ahh.." He paused, shuffling his feet uneasily. How the hell was he supposed to word his next question without erasing the happiness from Wakka's face? It had been a long time since he'd actually seen the older man content and he didn't want to be the one to ruin it but he saw no other way around it. "What..happened to Lulu?"  
  
The smile immediately disappeared from Wakka's face and he released a weary sigh. "You know how when you first came here Lu was always tellin' us to quit tryin' to use you to replace Chappu?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Well...all that naggin' didn't keep her from doin' it herself."  
  
Tidus stared at the muscular Auroch in shock. That wasn't quite what he had been expecting to hear.  
  
"Lately thing have been gettin' a little..strange between us. We haven't been gettin' along, you know?" Wakka continued speaking, keeping his somber gaze focused on the ground before him. "At first I thought it was because Yuna was spendin' less time with her but last night..me and Lu got into it. Stuff got brought up, includin' Chappu. She said I wasn't like him at all and that she was a fool to think I could take his place."  
  
"Oh man," Tidus breathed, still trying to take it all in. In a way he felt responsible. He had known things weren't exactly stable between Wakka and Lulu. Hell, it had been obvious to everyone. But he'd been spending so much time with Yuna that he hadn't taken the time out to talk to Wakka about his troubles. "I'm really sorry Wakka."  
  
The red head shrugged off his apology. "It's okay. I'm glad she got it out of her system. Now I can be with someone who knows I'm not Chappu, ya?"  
  
"So how did that happen?" Tidus asked, eagerly letting curiosity overcome his feelings of guilt.  
  
A fond smile tugged at Wakka's lips and he felt heat creep up into his face as he thought back to his night spent with Kenzi. How much should he tell Tidus? All of it? A little? He was defiantly going to keep the kiss on the ship to himself. That was a memory for only Kenzi and himself to share. But there was no harm in telling the younger man what everyone else probably already knew and give him some of the details. "She overheard me and Lu fightin'. I went back to my place, thinkin' she'd be asleep but she wasn't. She was awake, sittin' on the bed. She told me she heard everything." His smile widened as he remembered the words she had whispered so shyly to him in the dim light of the hut. "Then she said that I would always be Wakka to her."  
  
Tidus smiled. "She said that? Man, she must really like you." The two started walking down the path, hearing the voices of their friends getting closer and closer. Tidus threw a sideways glance at Wakka. "So, ah..what happened after that?"  
  
Wakka chuckled softly and shook his head. "That's all you're gettin' out of me, ya?"  
  
"Alright." Tidus' smile turned smug and he folded his hands behind his head. "I'll just assume that you two either slept together or you really pissed her off this morning and that's the reason she clawed the hell out of your back. But I don't know Wakka, the girl looked pretty happy to me."  
  
Wakka whipped around to face Tidus, his cheeks turning a dark shade of pink. "Is it really that bad?"  
  
"Noticeable, but not too bad. Must have been pretty good for her to scratch you like that."  
  
"Shut up," Wakka muttered, unable to hide his shy smile.  
  
They walked the rest of the way to the beach in compatible silence, stepping onto the sandy expanse of white sand several minutes later and laughing at the sight that greeted them.  
  
Kenzi was laying flat on her back and straddling her, hugging the startled woman and squeezing the life out of her while talking rapidly in a mix of Al Bhed and English was Rikku.  
  
"So I guess Rikku knows," Tidus remarked dryly, patting Wakka on the shoulder and crossing the beach to where Yuna stood. Wakka started to follow him when something very small and very cute crawled in his way. A baby with a head full of wispy brunette hair and liquid brown eyes stared up at him. Wakka watched it curiously as it lifted a chubby hand and wiggled it's fingers. "How come you look familiar, huh?" he wondered out loud, bending over to pick up the small child and earning a tiny gurgle of laughter for his efforts.  
  
"Hey capn'. Whose kid is that?" Jassu asked, jogging up to him.  
  
"Not sure. You ever seen it before?"  
  
"Nope. Looks..familiar though, ya?"  
  
"That's cause she's mine," a voice called from behind them.  
  
Jassu and Wakka turned simultaneously and smiled. "Letty!"  
  
The dark haired ex-Auroch, whose place Kenzi had taken, approached them grinning. "Hey guys. Long time no see."  
  
"No kiddin'," Jassu said, welcoming his good friend with a hug. "So how's Killika treatin' ya? How's the wife?"  
  
"Bree's doin' okay. She missed Besaid so we're movin' back!"  
  
Wakka carefully shifted Letty's child to his other arm and extended his hand for Letty to shake. "It'll be great havin' ya back man. Things haven't been the same without you. I think Jassu's startin' to miss you, ya?"  
  
Letty laughed and shook Wakka's hand. "I heard he's with Rikku now. That's good Jassu. I knew ya liked her man. Just can't believe it took you so damn long."  
  
The baby chose that moment to start fussing and with a look of pure dread on his face, Wakka quickly handed the child over to its father. "She..he.umm."  
  
"She," Letty said, smiling when the little girl immediately calmed once in his arms. "Hard to tell, I know. I would have had a problem with it too if the doc hadn't told me what she was. I guess babies are like that at first. Sierra's been..I dunno guys, she's just amazing. Every day I love her more, you know?"  
  
"Yeah, she is a cutie," Wakka said. "It would be hard not to love somethin' like her."  
  
Letty nodded, taking one of Sierra's hands in his and kissing her little fingers. "Hey, speakin' of things that are cute, who's the blond?" Letty asked, motioning to the two Al Bhed's on the sandy beach.  
  
Wakka turned to where Rikku was helping Kenzi to her feet. Kenzi's musical laughter carried to him and he smiled. He would never grow tired of hearing such a beautiful sound. "That's Kenzi," he said faintly, answering Letty's question but never taking his eyes off the tall Al Bhed.  
  
Sanding next to Letty, Jassu rolled his eyes. "You'll have to forgive Capn' Wakka. He fell for her pretty hard. Tidus recruited her to play in your place."  
  
"She any good?"  
  
"Too busy with Bree to watch the game, huh?"  
  
Letty gave him a smirk that said it all and Jassu laughed, slapping him lightly on the back so as not to disturb Sierra. "Don't worry about it man. It was a good tournament though. Shame you had to miss it. Kenzi's got some major talent and I'm not the only one who thinks so, ya?"  
  
"So you got the hots for the newbie, huh capn'." Letty stated with a knowing smile. Sierra started squirming and he set her down, watching her as she plopped down in the sand and started digging her curious baby fingers through it. "Does she know?"  
  
"Found 'em in bed together this mornin'. What do you think?" Jassu said laughingly, ducking when Wakka tried to smack him.  
  
Letty released a low whistle and arched a brow in amusement. "That so? Man Wakka, I always thought you'd end up with-." Jassu made a discreet slashing motion with his hand across his throat. "Someone as cute as her," the dark haired man finished off smoothly.  
  
Wakka knew what he was going to say though. Letty thought he would have ended up with Lulu. Looking at Kenzi, he couldn't help but be thankful that she had come along. She was what he had needed. He hadn't even realized there was more to a relationship then conversations that usually turned into arguments. But Kenzi had showed him something completely different then what he knew and she'd managed to do it in the span of a few hours. And it wasn't just the sex, although it was absolutely wonderful. It was the small things she did. The way she cuddled with him through the night, the smile she had given him right away after she had woke up and the fact that, without even having him say anything she had grabbed his headband and slipped it onto his head as if she knew that he didn't feel fully comfortable without it. No one had ever done anything like that for him before.  
  
"Told ya he had it bad," Jassu muttered to Letty as they watched Wakka stare longingly at the leggy Al Bhed.  
  
Letty nodded. "No kiddin'. I've never seen him look at a woman like that before."  
  
"Maybe you two should quit worryin' bout my love life and start wonderin' why no one's even noticed Letty's here yet," Wakka said, turning to them and crossing his arms over his chest with a smug grin. He knew Letty hated being left out of anything, especially when it came to the team.  
  
"Heeey," the dark haired man said at length, a sudden frown creasing his brow, "You're right. Yo Aurochs! Ya miss me?" he yelled, catching the attention of the several young men and three women scattered along the beach.  
  
With the exception of Kenzi, everyone smiled and ran forward to greet the ex Auroch. Kenzi simply watched, not wanting to intrude upon the reunion. She had never met Letty before but she knew who he was and she know that it was in his place she had played. She had no idea how he felt about a girl taking his place and an Al Bhed for that matter so she decided it would be best to let Letty introduce himself. Turning to look out over the clear blue water, she waited patiently and watched the dolphins leap out of the water out in the distance.  
  
Several minutes passed before Kenzi started to feel as if she was being watched. She turned her head slowly, her heart racing as her stormy gray-blue eyes met with a pair of smoldering amber ones. Wakka gave her a slow devastating smile and a warm fuzzy feeling started to spread through her, leaving her with an almost overwhelming need to be close to him, as close as they were last night.  
  
As if he could hear her thoughts, Wakka separated himself from the crowd of people and made his way across the sand to where she stood. He walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her back against his muscular body. Kenzi closed her eyes and smiled, loving the feeling of just being there in his arms.  
  
"You gonna come introduce yourself?" Wakka asked, his low voice close to her ear.  
  
She shivered as his warm breath fanned over her neck. "I..I don't know if I should. I took his place and I have no idea how he feels about the Al Bhed's. I thought I should let him make the first move."  
  
"Considerate, but you got nothin' to worry about. Letty has no problem with Al Bhed's."  
  
Kenzi nodded, staring straight ahead with a thoughtful expression. Suddenly she turned to face him, sliding her hands up his arms, shoulders, neck and then placing one on either side of his face, lightly brushing her thumbs over the short hair of his side burns. "Wakka..what am I to you? I mean...are we...am I-." She could feel the blush heating her cheeks as she stumbled over her words. She had to keep going though. She had to know. "I'm not just...some woman that you slept with, am I?"  
  
Wakka's eyes narrowed in perplexity and for a moment Kenzi thought he was going to yell at her. "Kenzi," he said softly. His arms tightened around her and he rested his forehead against hers, staring deeply into her eyes, trying to read her, maybe even see her emotions for what they truly were. "You know you're more then that to me, ya?" he dropped a light kiss on her nose. "A lot more then that."  
  
Touched by what he said in more ways then she could possibly express through words, Kenzi went up on her tiptoes and pressed her lips against his. He responded immediately, angling his head slightly and running the tip of his tongue over her bottom lip. Kenzi buried her hands in his hair and submitted to the kiss, pressing her body against his and feeling the lust burning white hot within her. Gradually the kiss became less intense and turned slow, almost lazy. With a smile, Kenzi broke the kiss and leaned back in his arms.  
  
"So I'm guessing that kiss meant you understand what I was sayin'," Wakka said with a satisfied grin.  
  
Kenzi toyed with the diamond stud he wore in his left ear and shrugged. "That was kind of a round about answer, don't you think?" she asked with a teasing grin.  
  
Before Wakka could answer the group that had been yards away earlier approached them, all of them wearing knowing smiles. "So Wakka, going to introduce me to your friend?" Letty asked.  
  
Kenzi started to move out of Wakka's embrace but the tall Auroch held her where she was, only dropping one arm and keeping a firm hold on her waist with the other. He smiled at his friends. "Sure Letty. This is Kenzi, the newest addition to the Besaid Aurochs and...my girlfriend."  
  
Kenzi whipped around to face him, her mouth slightly agape in shock. "I'm..your-."  
  
"Good decision capn'. We were startin' to wonder if you were gonna start another one of those kinda/sorta relationships again," Botta said. Rikku, Jassu and Keepa glared at him and he shrugged. "What? Someone had to say it. Besides, capn' knows I'm right."  
  
Wakka nodded in concurrence. Beside him Kenzi was still in a state of disbelief. She had played out so many scenes in her head where he had said those exact words to her but actually hearing him say them..she never thought she would be so lucky.  
  
"Kenzi, you okay?" Rikku asked, pulling the older Al Bhed back into the world of the living.  
  
Kenzi smiled radiantly and stepped forward. "Yeah. Sorry about that. It's nice to meet you Letty," she said to the tall, dark haired man, extending a hand for him to shake.  
  
"Nice to meet you too Kenzi. I hear you're doin' a pretty good job takin' my place." He winked at her and she laughed softly, happy that he wasn't upset about a female Al Bhed being recruited to fill in for him.  
  
"Hope you don't mind."  
  
"Nope. You're helpin' the team win, right? I'd be a little strange if I had a problem with that, ya?"  
  
"Man, you're already strange," Jassu remarked loudly.  
  
As the group laughed, Letty picked up his daughter who was using his leg to pull herself up. He gave Jassu a severe look. "Keep it down man. She's not supposed to know her daddy's strange. What if she starts talkin', huh? That's gonna get back to her mother you know?"  
  
"Speakin' of which, where is Bree?"  
  
"Back in Killika. She's workin' one more week at the Inn for some extra gil and she sent me here to line up a place for us to live. I'm goin' back at the end of the week to help pack and tie up loose ends."  
  
"You need any help, you know you can count on us, ya?" Wakka said.  
  
"Yeah, and it's great havin' you back man," Botta agreed with a sneaky smile as he walked by Letty, only pausing briefly to pat the other mans shoulder before turning to Kenzi. "Hey there legs. How are ya?"  
  
Kenzi gave him a strange look and smiled guardedly. "Fine. Botta, what are you up to?"  
  
"Oh..nothin'." He glanced up, noting with satisfaction that Datto and Keepa had successfully snuck up behind Yuna and Rikku. "I just thought you girls looked a little tired. Maybe they need help wakin' up guys!" he yelled to his partners in crime.  
  
Kenzi glanced over her shoulder to see who Botta had been talking to. Once she was distracted the red headed Auroch lunged forward and grabbed her around the waist, pinning her arms to her sides and lifting her effortlessly. At the same time Keepa seized Yuna and Datto went for Rikku.  
  
"Do it Datto and you're a dead man!" Rikku yelled, laughing.  
  
Yuna and Kenzi struggled for all they were worth against their captors, laughing and trying out loud protests at the same time.  
  
"Tidus! You're supposed to be my guardian!" the usually soft-spoken guardian shouted in feigned outrage.  
  
"Just put your fingers to your lips and whistle honey! I'll come running!" Tidus laughed, knowing full well that her arms were trapped under Keepa's massive ones.  
  
Kenzi kicked furiously, trying to hit Botta's legs and failing. "I swear you are going to regret this buddy! I'm takin' you down with me!!" she shrieked, choking on her laugher. "Wakka! Help!!"  
  
Tidus crossed his arms over his chest and smiled up at the taller man. "You know, we really should do something," he said observantly, cocking his head to the side and watching the three women get dragged closer and closer to the waters edge.  
  
Wakka rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "You're right. Hey guys, hold on a sec!" he yelled out to the three men just as their feet entered the water. Datto, Keep and Botta looked up at him, slightly irritated that their plans were about to be trashed.  
  
Wakka walked forward, Jassu and Tidus following close behind him. Each of them went to their women who were more then grateful to see that their saviors had finally showed up to supposedly save them. "You guys can't throw them in," Wakka said, smiling down at Kenzi. He reached forward and his hand closed around the loose knot of her wrap. With a flick of his wrist the knot came undone and the fabric slipped down her legs with a whispered objection, falling in a heap on the sandy beach. Kenzi's mouth dropped open and her gray blue eyes went wide. "There," Wakka said matter- of-factly. "Now you can toss em in."  
  
Two other outraged shrieks pierced the calm silence of the day as Jassu quickly slid Rikku's short off of her kicking legs, leaving her in only her deep gold bikini and Tidus undid Yuna's wrap with an apologetic shrug.  
  
With a triumphant shout, Botta drug Kenzi, kicking and screaming further into the water. "You ready legs?" he asked before hoisting her up and tossing her in.  
  
Kenzi went with a shriek and came up sputtering, murder in his eyes. She pushed soaking wet hair back from her face, spared a quick glare in Botta's direction then ducked back under the surface and went for his leg, closing her fingers tightly around it and giving it a hard yank. The red heads laughing was quickly cut off as he was wrenched roughly into the water. When he came up Kenzi was grinning at him. "I told you I was taking you down with me," she said smugly.  
  
Botta laughed and splashed water at her. "I knew you were going to. I just expected a lot more screamin' before you came after me, ya?"  
  
Several hours later when the sun was high in the sky, Kenzi laid on her side sprawled across her towel, little Sierra dozing peacefully beside her safely shaded by a collection of large ferns that Letty had stuck in the sand. The guys were still in the water, bumping a blitz ball around and talking while the girls relaxed on the beach, soaking up the warm rays of the sun.  
  
Kenzi rolled over onto her back, propping herself up by planting her elbows behind her. Her eyes scanned the group of laughing men, searching for one in particular. Wakka. When she found him, her hungry gaze moved up over his washboard stomach, deeply tanned from years of constant sun exposure, then to his muscular chest and arms, and finally to his smiling face. She drank in his features, loving the way his eyes crinkled at the corners when he laughed, loving the way his crazy hair stuck straight up and curled back like a untamed feather and defiantly loving the way the water droplets clung to his skin, clarifying his muscles in an erotic way that left her breathless.  
  
"So Kenzi, whatcha thinking about?" Rikku asked, her shoulders shaking with suppressed mirth as she watched the older Al Bhed stare avidly at Wakka.  
  
Yuna glanced up, also amused by the look of naked longing on Kenzi's face. "Oh, something tells me we don't want to know the answer to that one Rikku," she mused softly.  
  
"I already know. She's thinking about Wakka." Rikku laughed and flipped onto her side, propping herself up on her shoulder and resting her chin in the palm of her hand. She tilted her head to the side, noticing that Kenzi was not paying attention at all to what they were saying. And idea forming in her mind she leaned towards the dazed blonde and whispered, "He's pretty cute huh?"  
  
Without even thinking, Kenzi sighed dreamily and smiled. "Yes. He's gorgeous."  
  
Suppressing her giggles, Rikku went on. "So how long have you loved him?" she asked, careful to keep her voice to a minimal whisper.  
  
"Since the moment I laid eyes on him when I was sixteen."  
  
Rikku's sparkling green eyes widened in shock and she turned to Yuna who merely confirmed Kenzi's breathy response with a nod of her head then, smiling deviously, joined in on Rikku's little game. "So you two have slept together then right?"  
  
Finally realizing what was going out, Kenzi snapped out of her daze and whipped around to face her two friends. "You tricked me!"  
  
"It's your own fault!" Rikku cried, laughing. "You were so intent on staring at Wakka it was almost too easy. But really," she continued, quickly sobering. "You did sleep with Wakka right? Not that I've ever thought about it because I haven't...but what was it like?"  
  
Kenzi shot a look out to the water where the guys were still stuck in their own made up game to make sure they were all out of ear shot, then once again turned to Yuna and Rikku, a slow smile spreading across her face. "It was wonderful. I've never experienced anything like it in my life. He was so passionate and so..so gentle. When he kissed me it was like my entire world just spun out of control. And when he ran his hands over my body all I could feel was this amazing burning feeling. I-." Her voice cut off as she realized just far she had gone into detail and her cheeks began to heat with mortification.  
  
Yuna and Rikku were both watching her fixedly, their mouths slightly agape. "Wow," Yuna said breathlessly, suddenly overcome with a desperate need to be alone with Tidus.  
  
Rikku quickly nodded. "No kidding. I had no idea the guy even had it in him."  
  
Kenzi didn't know how to respond to that. On one hand she was beyond humiliated that she had just spoken so candidly of what her and Wakka had shared, but on the other she was immensely please to know that she had put the Rikku and Yuna's view on the handsome Auroch captain in an entirely different light.  
  
The sound of splashing caught her attention and he looked up, her heart catching as warm pleasure rushed through her. Wakka strode purposefully out of the water, a faint smile curing his lips and his amber eyes fixed on her. As he approached Kenzi smiled and place a finger over her lips, nodding to the napping Sierra. "What's up?" she asked quietly, the gleam in his eye causing her to feel suspicious.  
  
He shook his head and held out a hand for her to take. Casting a quick look, bewildered look at the other two women who only offered her helpless shrugs, Kenzi took Wakka's offered hand and he pulled her up. "Yuna, Rikku," he said in means of a greeting as he slid his arm around Kenzi's waist and started to lead her across the beach.  
  
"Where are we going?" Kenzi asked, curiosity eating away at her.  
  
"You'll see."  
  
They came up on a group of trees that lined the beach. At least what Kenzi thought their main purpose was. Wakka pulled thick fern branches back, revealing a small but unmistakable path. She gave the tall man an apprehensive look and he chuckled softly, rolling his eyes as he lightly pushed her ahead of him. Further down the path the foliage started to dissipate until it completely fell away to reveal a clear, sparkling inlet of ocean water. Trees, ferns and exotic flowers of deep violets and vibrant yellows lined the small cove, closing it off entirely to the rest of the world. The pool was not deep. Maybe four or five feet Kenzi guessed. She could easily see to the sandy bottom strewn with rocks.  
  
"This is so beautiful," she whispered, entranced by the unique splendor of the secluded area. "Wakka, why did you bring-." She was immediately cut off when Wakka spun her around to face him, silencing her with his lips.  
  
Startled only momentarily, Kenzi quickly relaxed and sagged against him with a plaintive whimper, wrapping her arms around his strong neck and drinking in his raw, masculine taste as if she had been dying of thirst.  
  
Wakka pulled back, breathing heavily as he stared down into Kenzi's flushed face. "The guys tricked me into letting them come over to our place later tonight."  
  
"Our place?" Kenzi asked softly, interrupting him. A bright smile curved her lips.  
  
He smiled sheepishly, his cheeks coloring. "Yeah. Our place. But since they're comin' over I decided I'd better get some time alone with you while I still can, ya?"  
  
"So you brought me here to seduce me," she said, smiling up at him through her lashes.  
  
"Somethin' like that."  
  
"You...are evil," she purred, raising up on her tiptoes and pressing feather light kisses to his lips.  
  
"Not evil," Wakka said, tightening his arms around Kenzi and drawing her slim body up against his own. "Just selfish."  
  
"To spend time alone with me?"  
  
"Uh-huh."  
  
"And seduce me?"  
  
"Yup."  
  
"Well then get to it!"  
  
Wakka laughed at the words of his demanding nymph and lifted her, his knees almost giving out when her long legs circled his waist at the same time her lips claimed his in a heated kiss.  
  
*~*~LEMON~*~*  
  
Slowly he walked them into the pond. He knew exactly where he was going. He'd spent hours in this spot, sitting, thinking, swimming in lazy circles, valuing what little time he had to himself. Just as Yuna had her own place to get away, he had his. Practically the entire population of Besaid had one. By memory alone he found what he was looking for, a large rock that broke the surface, its hard granite face raising barley an inch above the water. He twisted around, resting his back on it and making sure to adjust Kenzi's legs to that they didn't scrape up against the large stone.  
  
His hands moved restlessly over her back, sliding over the slick skin and driving his need for her to an almost painful state. She only made it worse by pressing her hips intimately against his own, moaning as she slid her fingers through his hair. Her tongue caressed his lower lip, followed by her teeth as she gently suckled it. Wakka groaned, twining his fingers in the strings of her bikini top and giving it a vicious yank. He tossed the flimsy top aside, not giving a damn where it landed as long as it got out of his way. Next he pulled her hair free of its restraints. The silken strands fell free, brushing against the arm he had circled around her.  
  
Breaking the kiss, Wakka moved to her neck. She cried out softly, dropping her head back and allowing him more of her tender, sensitive flesh. He devoured it, starving for the sweet taste of her skin. His sharp teeth grazed the column of her neck and she moaned as she dug her fingers into his hair, guiding him. Her leg came up, wrapping sensuously around his, bringing their bodies closer together. She pressed her hips intimately against him, showing him without words what she wanted and he was more then willing to comply.  
  
Wakka tightened the strong arm around her waist and turned her around, sitting her on the rock. He backed away wanting to see her, wanting to memorize every tantalizing curve of her body until it was burned into his mind. She watched him, gray eyes clouded with passion, her full sweet lips slightly parted. "Wakka-," she murmured, a small plea evident in her voice.  
  
"I've never seen somethin' this beautiful before," was his husky reply, instantly bringing a blush of pleasure to her high cheekbones. He moved back to her and smiled wickedly. Reaching a hand out he curved it around her and slowly started to pull her into a lying position on the rock, trailing hot kisses over her skin, tenderly laving each breast in turn and suckling the nipple into a taut peek beneath his questing lips. His lips traveled down as he lowered her further and further onto the rocks rough surface. He ran the tip of his tongue over the tight muscles of her stomach, smiling when he heard her sigh.  
  
When he reached the waistband of her bikini he stopped. Ever so lightly he brushed his fingers from the back of her calves up over her thighs and slipped them under the string waistband of her bikini, pulling it free and tossing it too aside, it's destination unknown. The last barrier had been removed and now there was nothing to stop him. He lowered his head, kissing her intimately, his boldness growing when he heard the startled gasp that left her lips. He licked her lovingly; using his teeth to draw forth fevered cries from the blond that lie captive to his ministrations. She moved beneath him, her hips bucking when he grazed certain spots that were highly sensitive, her hand gripping his where they rested on her slim hips. When he felt her muscles start to tighten he moved away and kissed his way back up, pulling her limp body into his arms and hugging her.  
  
He was opening his mouth to say something when Kenzi's hand nimbly removed his shorts and then moved back up, closing around him. Every rational though flew from his mind. He leaned heavily against her as she moved her hand gently up and down his length, slowly at first then increasing the speed and pressure until his arousal became almost painful. With a half moan have growl he moved a hand in between her legs, brushing his fingers against her slick heat. He parted her gently, lifting her lithe body at the same time and entering her in one, swift thrust.  
  
Kenzi cried out his name, her head falling back. For a moment she was still, stretching to accommodate him as Wakka ground his teeth together, forcing himself not to move. Then she lifted her head. Her hungry gaze met his and held, stormy gray clashing with golden brown. Her arms tightened around his neck and together they began to move, as if they were one and fully understood each other's bodies. But maybe they did. Maybe two souls that had been searching a lifetime had finally found one another. Whatever it was, it was powerful on a level neither of them fully understood yet.  
  
Kenzi wrapped her legs tightly around Wakka's waist, kissing him deeply and swallowing his rough groans of passion. They moved faster, desperate for something more, something almost within their grasp. Wakka hastily but gently lay Kenzi back down onto rock. The change was different, catching Kenzi off guard and she screamed from the absolute sensuality of the feelings consuming her. Wakka's hand griped her waist and with one hard thrust the tension building inside of Kenzi exploded. Her climax took her swiftly leaving her to float back down to earth but when she finally reached it, laying sated in the hot afternoon sun she still felt a need for something more. Inspiration guided her and she tightened her legs around Wakka, yanking him hard against her. With a hoarse cry he joined her in her ecstasy, his seed filling her womb as he collapsed against her, his head landing in the valley of her firm breasts.  
  
*~*~END OF LEMON~*~*  
  
Wakka listened to the unsteady beating of Kenzi's heart, patiently waiting for his own breathing to return to normal. Kenzi shifted beneath him. She hummed softly, a soothing, pleasure filled sound and he lifted his head to look at her, smiling as she stretched her arms above her head. Then she lowered them, one hand resting on the back of his head while the other alighted just above his shoulder blade. Resting his head back on her chest, he closed his eyes, enjoying the feel of her delicate fingers moving lightly over his scalp and neck.  
  
"Wakka?" she questioned softly. When he didn't answer she shook him lightly. "Wakka..hun, you alive?"  
  
"Hmm," was all he was able to manage. He was far too relaxed to even form a coherent thought, let alone speak.  
  
"I hate to ruin the mood but I'm just starting to realize how uncomfortable this rock is."  
  
Wakka immediately straightened; slightly embarrassed that he hadn't thought about how the hard granite surface would dig into her back. "Sorry about that," he said, helping her sit up.  
  
She smiled up at him, her gray blue eyes sparkling with pleasure and something else. Something he couldn't identify but knew he had seen it before. Where though? "Don't be sorry. I really didn't notice at all while we were-." Her voice trailed off and bright pink stained her high cheekbones.  
  
Wakka grinned, pulling her into a loose embrace and kissing the top of her head. "New problem," he murmured softly after a while, brushing his fingers through her unbound hair.  
  
"What?" Kenzi asked on a yawn.  
  
"Clothes."  
  
The long legged Al Bhed pulled back and smirked at him, playfully smacking his arm. "And whose fault is that?"  
  
"Hey, I didn't loose all of 'em." He laughed as he grabbed her leg and lifted it above the water, revealing the blue and purple bikini bottoms dangling precariously from her foot.  
  
Her light laughter joined his and they quickly gathered the remaining clothes that had been tossed aside in the heat of the moment, dressed, and then waded to the bank. Wakka sat down on the sandy stretch of land, pulling Kenzi down and settling her much smaller body in his lap.  
  
They sat in silence for a while, Wakka with his arms wrapped loosely around Kenzi while she sat with her head resting on his broad shoulder. She snuggled further into his protective embrace, listening to the singing of the tropical birds and the gentle swish leaves as the wind passed through them. "Wakka," she said, after several minutes had passed.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Why do you hate the Al Bhed?"  
  
Her question took him by surprise. It was the last thing he expected to hear her ask, especially at that moment. He released a weary sigh, taking one of her hands in his. "I don't hate 'em. Not all of them."  
  
"Not me you mean. But you did," she said softly.  
  
Wakka shook his head. "I never hated you, Kenzi. I was just mad at you. You join the team, you're an Al Bhed, and you're cute as hell. I get around you and what I've always believed..I'm not so sure of anymore."  
  
"Oh," Kenzi murmured.  
  
"You're the first person to come along and make me think...maybe I was wrong, you know?"  
  
"SO whatever happened that made you feel that way in the first place?" she asked, her curiosity still not appeased. This was something she felt they had to get past, something she felt he needed closure on so that he could live his life and be truly happy.  
  
Wakka was silent for a moment then finally he spoke in a low voice full of pain that made Kenzi's heart ache. "When Sin came back the last time my brother, Chappu, he decided to join up with the crusaders. Didn't really know what to say at the time, you know? I was upset 'cuz I didn't want him goin' to fight Sin. He was the only real family I had. I told him what I thought after we had finished a game in Luca. We argued, but he went anyway.  
  
I..I gave him a gift before he left, somethin' to show him I was sorry and that I was okay with him goin' off to fight Sin. It was a sword. He didn't take it with him though. He used Al Bhed machina instead...and was killed. I guess I placed a lot of blame on the Al Bhed for his death. If they wouldn't have come along..maybe he'd still be alive." Wakka fell silent and waited for a reaction or a lecture on his narrow-minded views, but none came. Kenzi remained silent, staring out at the water with a peaceful expression. "Not gonna say anything?"  
  
She turned to face him. "Should I?"  
  
"I just figured you'd start tellin' me I was wrong to think like that."  
  
Kenzi's brows lowered thoughtfully. She once again turned her gaze to the tranquil waters. Something about the way she did it just as she had done on the ship the other night and on the beach hours ago made him think. What was it about the clear blue expanse of sea that always seemed to calm her? It was almost as if she depended on it for something, but what?  
  
"Its not my place or anyone elses to tell you what to think or how to feel. Everyone was born with the right to have their own thoughts, their own beliefs. They're a big part of what makes you who you are. I would never want to change who you are Wakka. Besides," She shrugged and looked up at him, "I can understand how you feel. I've..never said this to anyone but...I blamed us too. I blamed us, I blamed Sin. I was so confused that I didn't even know what was right anymore. Everything was so crazy and every time I attempted to think about it I would always think the same thing. Us Al Bhed were so determined to beat Sin and so set in our ways of doing it...by using forbidden machina. Maybe...maybe we just made it worse." She hung her head, feeling ashamed for giving voice to the thoughts that had remained hidden for so long. "I'm horrible for thinking such things. I know."  
  
"Hey now," Wakka murmured, hugging her close. "Don't say that. Weren't you the one just talkin' about how everyone has a right to their own thoughts? Just because you thought somethin' like that doesn't make you horrible. You were scared. People think things they usually don't when they're scared."  
  
"Yeah, you're right," Kenzi agreed reluctantly.  
  
"So," he said after a while, looking to change the subject. "You asked me a question. Mind if I ask you one?"  
  
"Go for it."  
  
"What's with you and the sea?"  
  
Kenzi cocked her head to the side giving him an odd look. "Me and water?"  
  
"Yeah. Maybe I'm just imagining things but it seems to me like whenever you're upset about somethin' or confused you always look out at the water," Wakka tried to explain, hoping that he didn't' sound as if he had completely lost his mind.  
  
The blond Al Bhed's eyes widened slightly and a faint smiled played at the corners of her mouth. "You...actually noticed that?"  
  
He nodded and she felt her cheeks grow warm. He had been that aware of her actions? She couldn't help but feel pleased and yet a little apprehensive. She never thought anyone would notice that little quirk or even pay that close attention to the little things she did. But Wakka had...and now she owed him an explanation.  
  
Captured as always by the whisper of the waves as they washed onto the shore, Kenzi gazed at the coves surface and searched deep inside of herself for a moment that lay buried but not at all forgotten. "We were in Killika, me and my family. We were visiting friends. While my parents were talking and my brother was off playing with his friends, I went inot the woods just to look around and pick some flowers that I thought my mom would like. That's when..Sin came. I..I could hear the screaming and I ran back. When I reached the edge of the woods it was already over. I searched for my family even though I already knew they were gone. I didn't know what else to do. But then she came."  
  
"Who?" Wakka asked, lost in Kenzi's story.  
  
"Yuna. She walked off a ship surrounded by her guardians. The only one I recognized at the time was you." Kenzi's gray-blue eyes took on a far off detached look. It was as if she was mentally going back to that place and that time, reliving a moment that had had a deep impact on her life. "I've heard one of the villagers talking, saying that Lady Yuna was going to perform the sending. I had never actually seen one before. So I hid behind a post on the dock and watched. When Yuna started dancing...I remember thinking how beautiful her dance was. But it was also sad and haunting. It was one of those things that you never forget. There was one thing though, that amazed me even more then her dance. It was the pyerflies moving under the water. I knew they were spirits of the dead. Of my Mother, father..and my brother but all I could think was how happy and peaceful they looked. Suddenly all the sadness and pain went away and this feeling swept through me. A feeling of peace and certainty. Even though they were gone...I knew they were happy. Ever since that moment whenever I feel scared or upset or even lonely I just look out at the water and start to feel calm again."  
  
When she finished speaking Kenzi dropped her head, shaking it back and forth with a slight smile. "Such naïve thoughts. But they were the only things that kept me sane."  
  
"Then you go out with me," Wakka muttered, lightening the mood. "Thought you wanted to be sane?"  
  
Laughing, Kenzi turned to face him and threw her arms around his neck. "Thank you," she whispered.  
  
"For what?"  
  
Kenzi pulled back and gazed into gorgeous amber eyes, feeling tenderness swell in her heart. "For making me laugh." She lifted her shoulder in a tiny shrug and gave him a shy smile. "For making me happy."  
  
"I do what I can, ya?" the tall Auroch said with a lopsided grin. He leaned forward, brushing the tip of his nose against hers. "We should get back."  
  
Kenzi placed a feather soft kiss on his lips and smiled. "Yeah, we should." She gave him one last, lingering kiss then pushed herself out of his lap and stood, brushing clinging granules of sand from her long legs. She held out a hand for Wakka and he took it, laughing as she jokingly struggled to pull him to his feet. Hand in hand they walked slowly back to the beach, content to walk in silence.  
  
When they reached the end of the path Wakka pulled back the branches of the trees on either side of the worn path allowing Kenzi to go first. She stepped out onto the hot sand, squinting as her eyes adjusted to the bright sunlight. She took several steps then came to a dead stop, her hand flying to her mouth to stifle a gasp. Not paying attention, Wakka ran into her almost knocking her over. Wrapping an arm around her waist to steady her, he looked up and groaned.  
  
Sitting in a curved line no more then ten feet away, wide grins wreathing their faces, were the Aurochs and their girlfriends. The wild applause started immediately, punctuated by cat calls and loud cheering.  
  
Kenzi's face was beat red. She could feel that, but there wasn't much she could do about it. Her only options now were to hide behind Wakka, which she was sorely tempted to do, or just brush it off. The second one was obviously what she had to do so she mustered up her most brilliant smile, swallowed her embarrassment and took a bow. "I can only assume that this idea belonged to he with no sex life?" she drawled sarcastically, straightening and turning her pointed gaze on Botta. The others laughed and Kenzi crossed her arms over her chest. "Haven't you messed with me enough today?"  
  
Botta held up his hands in front of him, still grinning. "I do it outta love Legs!"  
  
Kenzi rolled her eyes and leaned against Wakka. "Yeah. I'm sure that's what it is." She tilted her head back, meeting Wakka's laughing eyes. "What do you say to that Capn'?"  
  
Wakka rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I say..paybacks a bitch."  
  
Botta saw the immediate change in their expressions and he knew he was in trouble. He jumped up and started running just as the two came at him but his head start wasn't enough and second later two bodies slammed into him, taking him down into the sand. There was a brief struggle, ending with Botta laying on his back, Wakka sitting by his head with the younger Auroch's arms pinned to the earth and Kenzi perched proudly on top of him, straddling his waist. The first thought to cross Botta's mind was "thank god I only think of her as a sister or I'd be screwed," the second, "what the hell is she thinking?!"  
  
"So...Botta," Kenzi said sweetly, leaning down. "You remember what you told me the other night? When we all had a bit too much to drink?"  
  
"No Kenzi!" Botta yelped, his eyes going wide.  
  
"It's only fair."  
  
Her hands hovered over his bare stomach as he began to squirm, trying to pull his arms free from Wakka's grip but knowing it was pointless. The man was much stronger then people gave him credit for. He quickly switched tactics. "Come on Legs," he said, giving her his most charming smile. "You can do better then this. That beautiful mind of yours can think of somethin' more devious, can't it?"  
  
Kenzi shook her head. "Using your charm on me? You know that wont work." She smiled and pressed the tips of her fingers ever so gently to his stomach, laughing when he jumped. "Ya ready?"  
  
"Come on Kenzi. Please don't!" he tried one last time. "You said you wouldn't use this against me!"  
  
"I never said that. Nice try though." She curved her fingers around his sides and begin tickling him mercilessly, not giving in to his laughing yelps of denial until tears of mirth collected in the corner of her blue eyes. Satisfied that he had finally learned his lesson, he hopped off of him and stood, crossing her arms over her chest as she grinned smugly.  
  
Releasing his hold on Botta's arms, Wakka joined Kenzi, shaking his head back and forth and laughing as he watched the younger man try to catch his breath. "How ya feelin?"  
  
"You...guys...suck."  
  
Kenzi and Wakka only laughed harder, reaching down to help Botta up. They joined the rest of their friends who had taken to the water for an improvised game of Blitzball. The game lasted well into the afternoon. When the time came to head back to the village for the final celebration feast, the group slowly made their way up the winding path, talking amicably and paying little attention to the dark clouds gathering in the distance.  
  
A roaring bonfire had already been started, this one greatly out shining the previous ones that had been lit over the week. People crowded around table full of food, the pleasant sound of their laughter and chatter carrying to the group as they slowly approached.  
  
Kenzi and Wakka were the first in line for food and the tall Auroch earned himself quite a few light hearted remarks when he grabbed a plate for himself and Kenzi, helping the Al Bhed dish up. For the most part he ignored them. Doing such a small thing for Kenzi made him feel like he was a better man and it filled him with a warm sensation he had never felt before. It felt like his heart was going to burst with happiness. His palms were slightly sweaty, every few seconds a nervous flutter would make itself known and he couldn't seem to tear his gaze away from the beautiful woman at his side. Was he..in love with her? Wakka quickly shook off the thought. It was much to early in the relationship for things like that. Instead, he watched Kenzi as she picked out food for both of them and placed it on the plates he was holding, noticing with pleased interest that she had filled his plate with all of his favorite foods.  
  
Once all of them had gone through the line, the Aurochs, including Yuna and Rikku, sat on one of the large blankets that had been scattered around the bon fire. It was the farthest from the blazing heat of the flames offering them only a small amount of comfort from the dense heat that had moved over the island like a thick blanket.  
  
"Why did it get so hot?" Kenzi asked to no one in particular, pulling a section free from the orange she had peeled and popping it into her mouth.  
  
"Not sure. It doesn't feel right though," Jassu murmured. He finished his food and set his plate down in the middle of the blankets where a stack of already empty ones had started to form. "Too calm. Kinda feels like-."  
  
"A st-storm!" Rikku finished for him in a wavering voice, pointing her trembling finger towards the heavens. Everyone looked up. The dark clouds that had been gathering in the distance earlier were now right over their heads, churning silently. Red hues from the sinking sun turned the clouds' edges an angry scarlet color.  
  
"That doesn't look good, ya?" Wakka muttered.  
  
A second later lighting split the sky and chaos broke loose. A clap of thunder shook the earth, accompanying by Rikku's terrified shriek as she dove into Jassu's arms. Then came the rain, pouring down in heavy sheets and soaking the sand covered earth. People scrambled to their feet and ran for the safety of their huts shrieking and laughing, attempting to block the rain with empty plates and blankets.  
  
"Back to our place guys!" Wakka shouted over another crack of thunder. He looked at Jassu who wore an expression of bewilderment as he stared at Rikku cowering against him. The wild haired captain shook his head. "Pick her up Jassu. That's the only way you're gettin' her off the ground," he yelled, pulling a laughing Kenzi to his side and following the rest of his teammates back to his large hut. Once there he pulled back the heavy cloth door for her and went in after the leggy blonde.  
  
Tidus and Yuna were sitting on the bed he never used, playfully fighting over a towel while Datto, Botta and Keepa passed around another towel, sitting in a small circle between the two beds. "You go sit down. I'll grab a towel," he said softly to Kenzi, giving her a light push in the direction of his bed. She threw him a shy smile over her shoulder and went to sit down.  
  
Lightning lit the room and the door flapped open once more. "Someone mind tellin' me what the hell is wrong with her?!" Jassu yelped, stomping in and placing Rikku's shaking body on the floor.  
  
"She's afraid of lightning," Yuna offered, watching as the young Al Bhed started crawling around the floor in wild circles.  
  
Tidus feigned terror and pushed himself back towards the wall. "Wakka! She's doing it again!"  
  
"Whadaya expect me to do? Jassu's her man, not me!" Wakka exclaimed, veering around Rikku and sitting down next to Kenzi on his bed.  
  
Jassu watched helplessly as Rikku skidded to a halt and abruptly sat up. Green eyes wide with fright, she clasped her hands tightly in front of her and hunched her shoulders, laughing. It was an even, staccato sound, devoid of actual humor.  
  
"Jassu, do somethin' man," Datto yelped, staring wide eyed at the terrified Al Bhed. "You're girlfriends goin' insane."  
  
The bleach blond Auroch squared his shoulders. "Fine. Since the rest of you are about as yellow as a chocabo..." He continued to mutter as he grabbed Rikku's arms and hauled her gently off the carpeted ground. She stared at him with unseeing eyes, whispering disjointedly. "That's it woman." Jassu bent his head and captured her lips in a heated kiss. Rikku's eyes, if possible widened further and she gasped, unintentionally allowing Jassu to deepen the kiss. Her lids fluttered shut and with a sigh she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck.  
  
"Damn," Tidus remarked over Botta's shrill whistling. "Why didn't we ever think of that?" He quickly ducked, narrowly avoiding Yuna's tiny fist as it came flying at him.  
  
"Maybe cuz none of us felt that way about her," Wakka suggested.  
  
"Yeah, but Kimahri could have taken one for the team."  
  
Rikku broke away from Jassu and whipped around to face Tidus. "Kimahri?!" She shrieked, launching herself at Tidus, her fingers curled like claws.  
  
"Way to go man!" Jassu laughed, watching his girlfriend tackle Tidus, accidentally catching Yuna and dragging her into the brawl. "She's your problem now!"  
  
From the bed Tidus, Yuna and Rikku tumbled to the floor, unintentionally adding more opponents to their little wrestling match. Botta and Datto eagerly joined in, pulling a reluctant Keepa with them.  
  
Jassu watched for a moment before shaking his head and lifting his shoulders in a careless shrug. "Aw man," he muttered, diving into the mass of tangled bodies.  
  
"Their going to kill each other," Kenzi said, her voice bubbling with suppressed laughter.  
  
Wakka turned to her. "You want in on that, don't you?"  
  
Returning his smile, Kenzi nodded. "You know it!"  
  
They threw themselves into the fray with enthusiasm, fighting for victory even though no one was really sure of who they were fighting to beat.  
  
"Ack! Someone's still soaked!"  
  
"Datto get your foot the hell outta my face!"  
  
"I can't believe you'd even think that I would make out with Kimahri!!"  
  
Somewhere between the laughing insults and the shouting Kenzi was gently kicked aside. She rolled to a stop on the floor, the air leaving her lungs in a sudden whoosh when a massive amount of weight collapsed on top of her. "Oh jeez.."  
  
"Sorry 'bout that."  
  
She looked up, immediately lost in the smoldering amber depths of Wakka's eyes. Drawing in a trembling breath she smiled. "If it were anyone else I might be mad, but in your case I think I can make an exception."  
  
"Really," Wakka drawled slowly, a sinful smirk curving his lips. "What kind of exception."  
  
Winding her arms around his neck she pulled him down. "The kind where you kiss me and I'll forget to yell at ya for knockin' the wind out of me."  
  
The wild haired Auroch appeared to think about it for a moment, screwing his face up in an expression of serious consideration. "Hmm..."  
  
Kenzi quickly grew bored with waiting and pulled him the rest of the way down, slanting her lips across his. He responded quickly, wrapping his arm around her waist and crushing her body to his. Kenzi lifted one long leg, wrapping it around his leg and moving it slowly up in down in a sensual motion that caused him to groan.  
  
"For the love of Spira you two! Can't you just keep yer dang hands off each other for a minute?!" Jassu exclaimed flippantly.  
  
Datto rubbed the back of his head, feeling slightly uncomfortable with the fact that it looked as if his Captain was about to tear Kenzi's top off. "I think they might be rethinkin' their decision to let us stay the night," he muttered.  
  
"No!" Kenzi said, the sound coming out muffled from Wakka's lips against hers. With a giggle, she pushed him off and scrambled to her feet, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment and pleasure. "No, we want you to stay. That's why Wakka invited you guys here."  
  
"Yeah guys, besides...it's not my fault if she can't control herself, ya?"  
  
Kenzi shot him a look and he quickly backed away from her, holding his hands up defensively in front of him. "Sorry! Couldn't resist. So, who all's stayin?"  
  
Everyone decided to stay, Tidus and Yuna in one bed, Jassu and Rikku on the floor a good ways away from Botta, Datto and Keepa, and Kenzi curled up beside Wakka in his own bed, snuggling under the covers to get close to him. They group talked quietly, mostly about things that didn't matter, telling hilarious childhood stories while carefully skipping over anything involving Sin. Botta even went as far as to make up an elaborate ghost story that, even though no one would admit it, had effectively scared everyone.  
  
Finally they all started to drift off to sleep and Wakka turned out his bedside lamp, throwing the hut into darkness. Thunder rolled softly in the distance. Rain still fell steadily, drumming against the resilient fabric of the large hut. Kenzi laid in the protective enclosure of Wakka's arms, smiling as she listened to the sounds of Mother Nature. It was so serene, so beautiful...like the man who she was laying beside. Wakka...god, how she loved him. She couldn't believe how lucky she was to have him in the ways she had only dreamed of before. What had she ever done to deserve such a thing? Oh well, it didn't matter. She was happy with what she had and she was incredibly happy that the evil thing resting inside of her had seemed to retreat for the moment. Maybe it was gone. She could only hope. "Wakka..." she whispered softly.  
  
His arm tightened around her and she felt his lips brush softly against the column of her neck. "Yeah?"  
  
"I..." She paused. She knew better then to say such things. She was so happy now. For all she knew admitting her feelings could ruin everything.  
  
"What is it Kenzi?" he asked.  
  
"Nothing. Goodnight Wakka." 


	8. Babysitters

Oh ye gads! I thought this would never be updated! Aren't you all glad I'm usually always wrong? Thank you to everyone who reviewed. You guys have been so great. Even those of you who prefer Wakka/Lulu pairings. I'm glad you decided to stay with it and read this one out. It's a great compliment to me. Now I would take the time and thank all of you individually (which I will do in the next chapter) but right now it's 3:30 in the a.m. and I'm tired as hell. So read on and enjoy and thank you all again. You are the biggest group of sweethearts!!  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing of FFX. The only thing in this story that belongs to me is Kenzi and Letty's oh so cute daughter Sierra.  
  
Babysitters  
  
Standing on the dock next to the S.S. Leaky that bobbed lazily in the crystal clear water, waiting patiently to be boarded, Kenzi frowned as she rested her head on Wakka's strong shoulder. Her fingers played over the tone muscles of his bicep. "So...the whole week then?"  
  
"Yup. You gonna be okay?"  
  
Kenzi leaned back in the protective circle of his arms. "Without you?" She released an over exaggerated gasp. "I don't think I can! I can hardly go a day, let alone an entire week! What ever am I going to do? How shall I possibly go on?!"  
  
Wakka chuckled, shaking his head as he pulled her back against him. "Smart ass."  
  
Her reply was a tired laugh that managed to slightly shake her slender shoulders. They had woken up early, before the sun had even begun to inch its way into the dusky sky. Untangling themselves from each other they had left their cocoon of warmth to join the remaining members of the Besaid Aurochs on the docks. After a week of enjoying one another's company, Wakka was leaving with the rest of the team to help Letty and his wife make the move back to Besaid.  
  
Wakka wasn't exactly thrilled about it. Letty was his friend and he wanted to help him out but the past week with Kenzi had been incredible. So incredible that he regretted having to leave her. She had opened his eyes to so much and shown him so many things that he had never taken the time to notice before. She made life more interesting then he thought it could be.  
  
One morning she had pulled him from bed and dragged him outside just as dawn's bright hues had started to streak across the waning night skies. Hand in hand they had waded through the gentle surf, watching the sunrise in serene silence.  
  
"I'm actually going to miss you."  
  
Her soft admission interrupted his thoughts. He placed a tender kiss on her head, inhaling the exotic scent of her flaxen hair and knowing it was going to be one of the many things occupying his thoughts while he was away from her. "I'm gonna miss you too Kenz," he murmured, using the name Jassu had given her earlier that week. Jassu would abbreviate everything if he could just to avoid having to say more then he felt necessary. "The week will go by fast though, ya?"  
  
She lifted her eyes to his, smoldering amber clashing with stormy gray. "Hopefully. I've really gotten used to sleeping next to you. I'm not sure how I'm going to handle sleeping alone now."  
  
A shout from the captain of the ship signaled that they were ready to board and Kenzi tightened her arms around Wakka. "I wish you didn't have to go," she whispered.  
  
"I know. I'll be back before you know it."  
  
She sighed. "Alright." Reluctantly, she started to move out of his embrace.  
  
"Whoa, hey...where you goin'?"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
Wakka pulled her back into his arms, lifting a hand and brushing his thumb over her high cheekbone. "I'm not leavin' without a good kiss woman."  
  
Unable to keep the pleased grin off her face, the leggy Al Bhed eagerly raised up on her tip toes, sliding her hands up his chest. "Well then, by all means Captain."  
  
He laughed softly as he lowered his head to claim her mouth in a passionate kiss, branding her lips with his own. Kenzi moaned and pressed against him. Her hands brushed the nape of his neck, fingers sliding through the thick hair that had escaped his headband.  
  
Finally the kiss came to an end, both of them backing away from each other as they took several ragged breaths. "Yeah...defiantly going to miss you," Kenzi murmured shakily.  
  
Wakka chuckled and rubbed his nose against hers. Again the captain of the ship called for the straggling passengers on the dock to board. Botta, Datto and Keepa rushed by Kenzi and Wakka, calling out a goodbye to their newest team member before disappearing onto the gently swaying ship. Down the dock Jassu was swinging Rikku around, hugging her tiny body tightly while she threw her head back and laughed. Regretfully he placed her back on her own two feet, gave her a long, deep kiss and then joined his team mates on deck.  
  
Tidus was next to board. He said a quick good bye to Yuna, having already said most of it back at their hut, and turned, tossing his bag over the ship's railing. "Come on Wakka," he called over his shoulder on his way up the ramp to the S.S. Leaky.  
  
"I'm waitin' on Letty," he shouted back, "Be there in a bit."  
  
"You Capn'!" Letty came trotting down to the dock, a large duffle bag slung over one shoulder and Sierra safely tucked away in his muscular arms. He approached his former captain and Kenzi wearing a nervous smile. "Okay, so I left all her stuff back at your place with a list and...pretty much everything you need to know is there." He lifted Sierra up, holding her in the air and nuzzling her tiny nose with his own. "Daddy's gonna miss you baby girl. Behave yourself." He handed Sierra to Kenzi. "Thanks again for watchin' her while we're packin' things up Kenz. I owe you one."  
  
Kenzi shook her head. "Don't worry about it Letty. Just give us a ring so we know you all make it there okay. Yuna, Rikku and I will take good care of her." As if to agree with her, Sierra released a delighted giggle and snuggled back into the crook of Kenzi's arm.  
  
Letty laughed softly, reaching over and running his fingers over the patch of downy hair on Sierra's head. "Alright. Let's get outta here before I get all soft and start tearin' up." He slapped Wakka lightly on the shoulder and made his way to the ship.  
  
"Okay hun, I'll be seein' you when I get back." Wakka leaned over for one last kiss.  
  
Kenzi nodded once and adjusted her hold on Sierra, propping the child on her hip. "Have a safe trip. I'll be waiting for you."  
  
He started to walk away, then for some unknown reason he turned back, pulled around by unseen hands to face Kenzi once more. He drank in the sight of her, trying to remember if there was ever a time that he thought she had looked more beautiful then she did right now.  
  
She stood smiling at him, her gorgeous gray eyes sparkling. The ocean breeze tugged at her hair, causing the tiny feathers entwined at the ends of six thin braids to wave at him enticingly. Sierra sat perched on her hip with a tiny fist curled into the fabric of Kenzi's tank top. For one wild second he imagined it was their daughter she was holding. "Kenzi-."  
  
"What is it Wakka?"  
  
Good question. He didn't even know exactly why he had called out to her. A lump of unfamiliar emotion rose in his throat. "I.." His voice came out horse and her smile faltered.  
  
"Wakka." She took a step forward. "What's wrong?"  
  
Quickly coming around, the red headed captain shook his head with a dismissive grin. "Nothin' Kenzi. I'll miss you." Then, with a cheerful wave, he was gone.  
  
Kenzi watched his retreating back and sighed. "I love you," she whispered, knowing the only person who could hear her was Sierra. She looked down at the small child who was grinning impishly back at her. "You're not going to go telling anyone my little secret are you sweetie?"  
  
Sierra waved chubby baby hands in her face and Kenzi laughed. Nope. She wasn't telling a soul.  
  
"Hey Kenz!"  
  
Looking up at the sound of Rikku's voice, Kenzi smiled. "Hey Rikku."  
  
"Miss him already, don't you?"  
  
"I missed him the moment he took more then one step away from me," she admitted shyly, watching the ship sail off on the pristine blue waters. The team of Aurochs stood at the back of the ship, waving to the two women on the beach. They waved back, both laughing when they saw Jassu try to pitch Botta over the side. "What about you?" Kenzi asked turning to Rikku once the ship was only a large dot on the horizon.  
  
Rikku sighed, her pink lips curving in a secretive smile. "I've never missed anyone before. Well..not like this. I've missed my family before but missing someone you love...it's really different, you know?"  
  
"Yes Rikku. I know."  
  
The smaller Al Bhed tilted her head to the side, studying Kenzi's thoughtful profile. "Since you and Wakka got together..that thing you were telling us about hasn't been bothering you has it?"  
  
"No," the gray-eyed Al Bhed answered softly. In fact it hadn't been bothering her at all. From the very night Wakka had stepped into his hut after his fight with Lulu the voice, the thing that had haunted her for so long, had just stopped. She wasn't even sure it existed anymore. She hoped it didn't. "Maybe it just gave up."  
  
"You think so?"  
  
Kenzi shrugged. "I'm not sure. It feels like it though." She adjusted her hold on Sierra and smiled down at the tiny girl. "It would be nice if I never had to deal with it again."  
  
Rikku put her hands behind her head and rocked up on her tiptoes. "Oh, I'm sure you wont. You and Wakka are doing really good. And he looks so happy. He never looked like that with Lulu."  
  
The older Al Bhed smiled at that. Warm pleasure filled her being. She loved knowing that she made Wakka happier then he had been when he was with the black mage. It was a horrible thing to think, and she knew it, but she couldn't help it.  
  
Yuna joined them, standing beside Rikku and clasping her hands behind her back as her multi colored eyes gazed of in the direction of the S.S. Leaky. "So this child is ours to take care of for the week?" she asked.  
  
Rikku laughed softly. "Yup. Don't know what the heck Letty was thinking."  
  
"Oh come on Rikku. We'll be fine," Kenzi said, rolling her eyes. "She's just a baby. How hard can it be?"  
  
"I don't know. How many of us have actually taken care of a baby before?"  
  
The three women looked back and forth between each other, each of them wearing a slightly clueless expression. "Oh yeah," Rikku drawled archly. "This is going to be fun."  
  
By midweek the girls respect for Letty had tripled. Taking care of a child was defiantly no easy task. Once sweet little Sierra had figured out here daddy was no longer around she had gone from an adorable little angle to an unappeasable terror. They had to practically force-feed her just to get her to eat and even then she would often spit it back up and glare at them as if to say "you're not my daddy!" Getting her to sleep was nothing short of a nightmare. All of the kicking and fussy crying Sierra would dish out usually left them all beyond exhausted and they would usually end up falling asleep shortly after the child did, only to be awoken at ungodly hours by that same wailing.  
  
Finally, late in the week, Sierra had started to calm and grudgingly accept her temporary guardians, which was a huge relief to the three women. The terrorizing stopped and Sierra was once again an angelic baby.  
  
"It's like she did a complete 180 and likes us again," Kenzi said the night before Letty, Wakka and the rest of the boys were due to return. She walked around the hut, pacing in a small circle while methodically patting Sierra's back.  
  
Rikku looked up at her from her spot on the "guest bed" where she sat reading an old Blitz magazine and smiled sardonically. "Right. You say that now, but wait until we have to put her to sleep."  
  
"You have no faith Rikku! She might actually get to sleep at a decent time tonight!" Kenzi smiled with satisfaction as Sierra finally released a tiny burp. She settled the tiny girl in her arms and gently caressed her soft cheek. "She looks pretty tired."  
  
Rikku got up and walked to Kenzi's side, staring down at the baby in her friend's arms. "It's and act."  
  
Looking up from her own book, Yuna sighed softly and shook her head. "Rikku, you have to stop thinking the child is against us."  
  
"It sure seems like it Yuna."  
  
"Well, she wont be tonight," Kenzi proclaimed determinably.  
  
"Yeah? How are you going to assure that?"  
  
Kenzi gave Rikku a smug smile. "I think a little Hymn is in order, don't you?"  
  
Rikku stared at her for a long moment, entirely surprised that she would suggest such a thing. Practically no one sang the Hymn anymore, not since the death of Sin and the teachings of Yevon. To be quite honest, Rikku missed hearing it. She would hum it to herself at night back when she didn't have someone so strong and safe to hold her, but it just wasn't the same. "Sure," she all but breathed, unable to deny her own need to hear the Hymn sang once again.  
  
Walking over to the bedside light and dimming it enough so that Yuna could still read, Kenzi cleared her throat. A moment of silent stretched, anticipation slowly sifting through the spacious room. Then Kenzi began to sing. Each note was sung with aching clarity. She gave justice to the bittersweet tune, brining it back to life and filling it with such deep emotion. When the last note drifted off into the peaceful evening, Rikku and Yuna both sat transfixed, unshed tears glistening in their eyes. "Oh my Kenzi, that was beautiful," Yuna murmured.  
  
Kenzi smiled. "Thank you. And it worked like a charm." She nodded down the Sierra who was sleeping peacefully in her embrace. "She's out."  
  
Rikku dashed a hand across the tears that managed to escape and run in small trails over her cheeks. "That's amazing. Hopefully she'll stay out so that we can get some sleep tonight."  
  
Silently agreeing with the younger Al Bhed, Kenzi tucked Sierra away in her crib. "Well, I'm exhausted. How about you two?"  
  
"Soooo tired!" Rikku exclaimed.  
  
Yuna nodded. "I haven't felt this weary since the last time I called upon the Aeons."  
  
The girls quietly changed and slipped into their beds, anticipating a night of uninterrupted slumber.  
  
It was almost three in the morning when Rikku was awakened from that slumber but this time it wasn't from Sierra's angry crying. She jerked up in bed, wide-eyed and alert. Next to her Yuna continued to breath deeply, unbothered by the sudden danger that had penetrated the air around them. But Rikku had grown up around this kind of thing. She had learned long ago how to be constantly aware of a threat, even in sleep.  
  
Outside she heard a rustling noise followed by an animalistic snort. Her heart leapt into her throat. It had to be a fiend. She pushed the blankets off and swung her legs over the side of the bed, shivering as her feet touched the chilly sand. She had to do something, she had to protect. Whatever it was, it was too close to Sierra for her to be comfortable. It was too close to any of them!  
  
Without even a scant though of her weapon she silently stood and left the hut, creeping along its edge. Her green eyes scanned the area, searching for the fiend she knew was there. And then she found it. She swallowed hard, her heart beating a frantic tattoo against her ribs. A Valaha. But how? They were native to Besaid! How could it have possibly gotten there?  
  
The huge creature snuffled around the bushes nearby with its dog like snout. On his shoulders four thick, spike shaped tentacles waved ominously. Its powerful haunches shifted, the movement noticeable in the bright blue light of the moon. He pawed at the ground, fire flickering on its tongue as its tail waved lazily behind him. "It's like an over grown dog. Nothing to be afraid of," Rikku whispered to herself, trying to bolster her confidence.  
  
Suddenly its head turned in one fluid motion and its beady blood red eyes focused on her. A growl broke the silence of the night and Rikku stiffened, staring in horror at the foamy drool dripping from the fiend's jaws. There she stood, alone with a fiend..weaponless. "Oh no-."  
  
Inside Kenzi's eyes slowly drifted open. She had heard something. A glance over at the soundly sleeping Sierra confirmed that it hadn't been a baby noise. But she had defiantly heard something. She rolled on to her back and draped her arm over her forehead, listening. She didn't have to wait long. A low, menacing growl sounded from outside not far from Wakka's hut. She sat up in bed, her blankets pooling around her waist. Frantically she did a double check to assure herself that Sierra was still there and then she looked over at Yuna and Rikku. Next to Yuna the blankets had been thrown down and an impression of a small head was still noticeable but there was no Rikku.  
  
Kenzi reacted at once, reaching under her bed and into her bag for the katana her brother had given her years before his death. It lay buried in her bag, easily concealed because it had been made specifically for her. Small and lightweight, but deadly nonetheless. Unsheathing it from its ornate case, she ran out after her young friend. When she saw her she came to a dead stop, her jaw dropping at the sight before her. Rikku stood only mere yards from a deadly looking Valaha. The creature's eyes shifted in Kenzi's direction, but his body remained facing Rikku, poised for attack.  
  
"Kenzi," Rikku whispered in a wavering voice. "Go get Yuna and Sierra to a safe place."  
  
Shocked by the appearance of the native beast and the fact that it was far more then she was used to dealing with, Kenzi took a step back, then another, quickly retreating to warn Yuna of the fiends presence. She started to turn when the fiend sprang, it's huge claws aimed for Rikku.  
  
A fierce protective feeling came over Kenzi and she ran towards the fiend, drawing her weapon over her head. As the fiend came down on Rikku, knocking the small woman to the ground, Kenzi brought the blade down into its side. It sliced easily through the skin and the creature screamed in pain, the bellow of rage echoing around them. It retreated several steps and Kenzi grabbed Rikku, yanking the younger woman to her feet. "Come on," she said, breathing heavily.  
  
"Kenzi." The younger woman sagged against her and Kenzi looked down. A horrified gasp left her mouth when her eyes settled on the deep gash running the length of Rikku's arm. No time. They didn't have any time. She moved her arm around Rikku's waist, taking on most of her weight and the two ran for the safety of the temple.  
  
As they ran, Rikku dug in her pocket, praying to find something of use. Her fingers closed around something cold and metallic. Knowing what it was by touch alone, Rikku yanked it out of her pocket and tossed it behind them at the fiend. The explosion rocked the earth and the two women stumbled, hearing the angry howl of the monster behind them as it was engulfed in smoke. Rikku had bought them some time. Kenzi pulled her up and again started running with her in the direction of the temple. Their lives depended on what lay beyond those thick doors.  
  
Yuna awoke to the sound of a throaty, animal cry. The icy chill of fear seeped into her bones and she looked around, her alarm only growing when she realized that she was alone with Sierra in Wakka's hut. "Kenzi..Rikku.." she called softly, trying to remain calm. Nothing. On trembling legs she got out of bed and walked to the entrance of the hut. She pulled back the door and peered outside, terrified that she might find her two friends dead. What she found was nothing but a billowing cloud of smoke. She listened hard, trying to figure out what had made such a terrible noise when she heard her two friends crying for help.  
  
Quickly retreating inside the hut, Yuna picked Sierra up and carried her to the far corner of the room, pulling blankets onto the floor and settling the young baby among them. "You'll be safe here darling," she murmured, casting Protect on her and reinforcing it with Shell. Grabbing her staff from under the bed she had been sleeping in, Yuna ran outside, hoping she was in time to save her friends.  
  
Kenzi lopped up the stairs to the temple, pulling Rikku with her. Blood dripped from the young woman's arm, splattering on the pavement in gruesome red splotches. "Come on Rikku, just a little further," she tried to encourage her friend.  
  
They made it to the doors and Kenzi yanked hard on the handling. She sighed as the doors gave with a rusty groan and started to open. "Now get in there and stay in there," she demanded, shoving Rikku in before her and closing the door on her weak protests. She couldn't endanger Rikku's life any further. She had already lost too much blood. Besides, there was no way she had enough time to get both of them inside and the snarl behind her only confirmed that.  
  
She took her hand off the cool door handle and swung around to face her enemy, holding her katana up in front of her. It caught the moonlight, reflecting the pale light off of its blood stained hilt. Her mind screamed at her, telling her she was no match for such a thing. But she knew she had to try. She had friends to protect.  
  
The beast started to prowl towards her, keeping its body low to the ground and in a ready position to pounce. Its red eyes flickered and flaming tendrils escaped its mouth, curling up over it's snarling lips. Its throaty growl sent a shiver of apprehension down Kenzi's spine and she widened her stance, preparing for what she knew was about to come.  
  
The fiend's haunches twitched. It licked its lips with a flaming tongue. For all Kenzi knew it could have been laughing at her, or possibly imagining how good she would taste. "Well why don't you find out?" she asked in a low voice, using much more effort then she had wanted to keep her voice steady.  
  
The fiend lunged and Kenzi braced herself for the weight of it to slam into her, but it never happened. A indignant screech rang out and the sky opened in a brilliant flash of red and orange, releasing a magnificent creature. It plummeted to the earth and the wings encasing it folded out, revealing Valefore in all his glory. Head high, claws outstretched, it came for the Valaha, trapping it in a vice like grip and shredding it without a trace of mercy. The Valaha roared in denial, fighting back with all it had. Fire encased the fighting creatures. Kenzi watched on in amazement, unsure of what the outcome of the battle would be.  
  
Smoke surrounding the two animals was blown away by a sudden gust of balmy island air, taking with it a guttural cry of death. Valefore stood above the Valaha, staring down at its lifeless body with dark, unforgiving eyes. Yuna appeared next to it. She raised a hand, running it over the massive birds feathers as she praised it in her soft voice. Dismissing it, she turned to Kenzi. "Are you okay?"  
  
Kenzi dropped her hand to her side, loosening her death grip on her katana. "Yes. But Rikku's not." She went to the door of the temple and pulled it open. On the other side Rikku waited. Her face was pale and the blood from her arm had not stopped running. She looked up at Kenzi with pleading green eyes. "It's okay Rikku," she said, moving to Rikku's side and kneeling beside her. "Yuna's here. She'll help you."  
  
The Summoner entered the temple and went straight to Rikku. She held out her hands above the young woman's arm, chanting in a low voice. White light poured from her fingertips, cascading like a tiny waterfall over Rikku's arm and when it disappeared so did the ugly gash and the crimson blood.  
  
Rikku lifted her arm, bending it experimentally. "Thanks cuz. What would I do without you?"  
  
"Bleed all over the temple floor," Yuna joked tiredly, helping Kenzi pull Rikku up. The group trudged back to their hut, feeling exhaustion to their very cores. They checked on Sierra, removing the spells and settling her back in her crib, and then they crawled into their own beds and were out within seconds. All accept one.  
  
Kenzi remained awake. She didn't mind though and wouldn't be able to sleep even if she wanted to. The attack was still fresh in her mind and it frightened her to think that it had come so close to the little baby they had been watching. Over the last week all three women had grown so close to each other and the little addition to their group of females, Letty's Sierra. In fact, now that she thought about it, the little girl fit right in, adding her own unique personality to the group of very distinct and independent women.  
  
She sat back against the wall and allowed her mind to wander dangerously about her feelings on starting her own family. Would she have her own little girl or maybe a little boy that looked exactly like....She shook her head. There was that little nagging voice in her mind telling her that she better watch herself. But how she longed to have a family like Letty's.  
  
He would come back for her tomorrow after they finished the moving and would go back to the way it was before their little charge had come along. She was already anticipating the silence that would fill the camp without the gurgling of the little one they had all come to love. No longer would they hear a child's laughter or the smell the nasty presents she would leave them after meals, or even hear her disgruntled cries.  
  
Fighting back tears, she crept over to where the little girl was sleeping and picked her up gently, rocking her in her arms. She was too emotional right now. She tried to tell herself it was because of the fight. But she knew it was a lie. She was going to miss taking care of Sierra. Sierra had made her realize just how badly she wanted to spend her life with Wakka. She wanted to get married, have his kids, and grow old with him. But the evil...something told her it was still there, lurking in the corners of her mind and waiting for it's chance to strike. She sighed; resting her head on top of Sierra's and inhaling the sweet baby sent that surrounded the tiny child.  
  
Across the room Yuna's eyes fluttered open and saw the touching scene. Deciding not to say anything about it she went back to sleep. Kenzi looked like she needed that moment and Yuna was more then happy to let her have it. An hour drifted by and finally everyone in the hut was asleep, Yuna and Rikku in one bed and Kenzi in the other, Sierra cuddled up next to her with her fist twisted in the fabric of the woman's shirt.  
  
. 


	9. Nightmares

Alright. And here we go with the thank you's! You all deserve a good one! First of all, major thanks to go my sweetest friends Echo and Ari. You two have been amazing. Simply amazing. I don't know what I would have done without either of you. You're full of ideas and your willingness to supply me with ammo to get my imagination going is just wonderful. I love you both!  
  
Muse, you're hilarious. Thank you for being one of the people to stick with this fic all the way through. You're reviews have been more then simply appreciated. I've gotten a good laugh out of each of them! Thank you!!  
  
Fyrefly, so I guess you're my new best bud huh? Lol. Thanks for coming to check out my fic dear. I'm glad you liked it. I tend to try and keep my lemons tasteful. That's the only way to go in my opinion! I hope you continue to enjoy and let me know if you've got anything out there for me to feast my eyes on!!  
  
WaifunDesired, hope this didn't take too long. It was actually the first time in a long time that I've been able to sit down and just type like a mad woman. Thanks for your reviews and I hope you're enjoying the other fics as well.  
  
Brian, lol.even though it took me a while to translate it the review was much appreciated. Thank you so much.  
  
And last but certainly not least, Kaisui. I owe you a large thank you. I know how hard it is to read something that isn't loyal to the character pairings you like. I have an incredibly hard time doing it myself. I truly hope you keep enjoying this. And do heed the warning at the top of the page. * points up * I don't want to go offending anyone with this chapter.  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing of FFX 10. All that I own in this thing I'd like to call a bit of fiction is my original character Kenzi. And a quick warning. I know you guys are fans of her but some of you have a point when you say this is my fic. I just want warn you right now that if you are a big Lulu fan you may want to turn back now. My feelings wont be hurt. I understand loyalty to characters. That's why I feel the need to warn you that this is not a friendly chapter to her. If you read on, please understand that I did what I did because I had a vision for this story.  
  
*~* Nightmares *~*  
  
Kenzi sat cross-legged on Wakka's bed, drying her strawberry blond locks with a thick green towel. Her nerves were on the edge of snapping, waiting in anticipation for Yuna or Rikku to come busting through the doorway and tell her that the guys had returned. She had been doing this since the moment she had woke up and now it was two in the afternoon. It was a wonder she hadn't gone insane with all the tension building inside of her.  
  
Sighing, she flopped back onto the bed, burring her head in Wakka's pillow. She inhaled deeply and smiled. His scent still clung stubbornly to the fabric. It wasn't as strong as it used to be. Maybe it was because she had been sleeping curled around it ever since the night he left.  
  
Running out of things to keep herself occupied, Kenzi's mind wandered over the events of the previous evening. Her heart caught painfully as she once again saw Rikku being taken down by the Valaha. Damn beast. It still bothered her when she thought about its sudden appearance on the secluded island. What in Spira had it been doing there anyway? A vision of Lulu flashed in her head and Kenzi immediately shook it away. No way would the black mage even think about endangering so many people...would she?  
  
"Knock it off Kenzi. You're placing blame where it probably doesn't even belong," she muttered to herself, staring up at the beige canvas ceiling. Her thoughts went to Rikku and she began worrying her full bottom lip. The young Al Bhed had defiantly pulled through. Yuna had been able to easily cure her. However she had not been able to rid Rikku of the hideous gash running the length of most of the girls arm. Jassu was not going to be happy. None of the guys were.  
  
"Kenzi? You in there?"  
  
The strawberry blond Al Bhed sat up, hearing the strain in Rikku's voice. "Yeah." She jumped off the bed and ran for the door, throwing it open to see Rikku on the other side. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"  
  
Rikku laughed and shook her head. "I'm fine Kenzi. I just thought you might want to...I don't know, race me to the docks."  
  
At first the words didn't even penetrate her senses. She had to process them over once more just to be sure she had heard them right. "The docks," she murmured absently. A goofy grin spread over her face and she took off at a dead run for the path that lead down to the shores of Besaid. Rikku was right behind her, laughing like a carefree child. They passed Yuna who was walking calmly down the worn path between the trees, carrying Sierra who was singing something indecipherable in baby talk. "Come on Yuna! They're back!!" Kenzi yelped.  
  
Yuna shook her head, smiling softly. "You two go ahead. I'll be right behind you."  
  
They didn't need to be told twice. Both Al Bhed women whooping joyously pushed themselves into overdrive and tore down to the beach.  
  
Jassu stretched his tattooed arms high above his head and breathed in the smell of sea and sand. "Damn, it's good to be home."  
  
"Sure does," Botta agreed, running fingers through his bright red hair. "After all that movin' I'm thinkin' much needed rest is number one on my list of things to do."  
  
Next to him, Wakka laughed. "Yeah, you did so much work while you were sittin' at that bar hittin' on the waitress man."  
  
"Hey now, I did my share!" Botta protested loudly. "Got us free drinks, didn't I?"  
  
Jassu pulled the blue-eyed guard into a headlock. "Hate to admit it Capn' but the guys got a point."  
  
Wakka was about to agree when a flash of strawberry blonde caught his attention. A vision of Kenzi on the first day he had met her, strolling towards him with those long legs and that sexy smirk flashed in his head. What he saw now was the complete opposite of that calm, self-assured woman. Running full speed down the slight incline to the dock, dressed in a pair of navy blue shorts and a matching top that exposed her flat stomach was Kenzi. A bright smile curved her beautiful lips as she laughed at Rikku who was running besides her, trying to stay in the lead.  
  
"Now this has gotta be one of the best home comings I've ever had," Jassu laughed, watching the two women running at break neck speed towards them.  
  
Botta chuckled. "Or the scariest."  
  
Wakka paid no attention to either one of them. He had eyes only for Kenzi. The past week without her had been pure hell. He'd went to sleep every night wishing with all he was worth that she could be there next to him, holding him tight as her exotic sent surrounded him and pulled him into a wonderfully deep sleep. He'd missed her so much. During all the packing all he had been able to think about was her, how she made him feel, how much he..loved her. It had taken him long enough to figure it out but sometime around midweek he had realized that he did, if fact, love her. And quite deeply.  
  
Dropping the bag he had been carrying, he trotted down the ramp and onto the dock, more then ready to feel Kenzi's arms around him once more.  
  
"Wakka!" She yelped. She threw herself into his arms, wrapping her own arms and legs tightly around him. Laughing, the tall Auroch captain hugged her to him.  
  
"Oh Wakka, I missed you so much!" she cried, burying her head in his neck. "I'm so glad you're back."  
  
Never had he heard sweeter words. "I missed you to Kenz." She loosed her legs from around him and lowered her feet to the dock. When she pulled back he was startled to see tears streaking her beautiful flushed cheeks. "What's wrong?"  
  
"Oh!" Kenzi laughed as she brushed at the tears with the back of her hand. "They're nothing. Happy tears! Really. I'm just so happy that you're home," she finished in a whisper.  
  
Wakka smiled warmly at the tall woman in his arms. "It's good to be home Kenzi." He lowered his lips to hers, catching her mouth in a deliciously hungry kiss. His teeth grazed her bottom lip, a silent promise of what was to come later that night, and she shivered, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. When they broke apart both of them were shaken more then they cared to admit. Wakka stared at Kenzi, the woman he loved. The words were on the tip of his tongue. Now all he had to do was take a deep breath and say them. "Kenzi-."  
  
"WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO YOU?!"  
  
Kenzi and Wakka jerked around at the sound of Jassu's angry voice. The dark skinned man was holding Rikku's arm up, staring in horror at the long laceration on her arm. "Oh no," Kenzi whispered.  
  
"Jassu, really it's nothing," Rikku tired to console him. She smiled, running her hand gently over the line of his strong jawbone. "Just a scratch."  
  
"Just a scratch? What the hell from?"  
  
Kenzi winced at the tone of Jassu's voice. Her hand tightened around Wakka's arm.  
  
"Kenz."  
  
She looked up into her boyfriend's concerned amber eyes. So much for happy homecomings.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
Kenzi took a deep breath, casting an anxious glance at Rikku. The younger Al Bhed moved to stand beside her and took her hand. They were about to tell the entire story when Yuna walked up behind them and Sierra squealed with joy. She reached her arms out, flailing them in the direction of the ship.  
  
On the ships deck a beautiful woman with short brown hair, cut forward at a slant so the hair in front, framing her flawless features was longer then the hair in back smiled and rushed forward. She wore a khaki skirt and a baby blue shirt with the Besaid Auroch's emblem stitched over the right side of her chest. "Sierra!" she cried, running up to Yuna and taking the small child from the Summoner's arms. "Oh my sweet angel, Mommy's missed you so much!"  
  
Sierra cooed softly and wrapped her chubby baby arms around the woman's neck. The woman looked up, bright violet eyes connecting with Yuna's. "Thank you so much for watching her. It wasn't easy being away from her but I felt better knowing she was being left in your care Lady Yuna."  
  
"Oh." Yuna blushed at the unabashed appraisal. "I wasn't the only one watching her. Kenzi and Rikku were as well. We all stayed with little Sierra." She gestured to the two nervous looking Al Bhed women.  
  
Unaware of the tension radiating around the small group, the woman smiled at Kenzi and Rikku. "Thank you both. Wow, three women watching my little girl. Oh! I'm Bree by the way."  
  
Kenzi started to reach out a hand to the striking woman in greeting, forcing a smile to her lips. Wakka's controlled voice stopped her. "Bree, I don't think now is a good time for introductions."  
  
Bree looked around the group, finally noticing the set faces and the edginess emanating from the three women. "Oh..um, I think I'll go help Letty. We'll do this later."  
  
When she was gone Wakka and Jassu turned to the women expectantly. Kenzi felt Rikku's hand tighten around hers in a reassuring squeeze. Nodding once in silent agreement, Kenzi raised her gaze to Wakka's. "The others are probably going to want to hear this too."  
  
They all met back at Wakka's several minute later. The crowded around, some on beds, some on the floor, some leaning against the room's sparse furnishings. "Alright," the tall captain started after scanning the room to ensure that everyone was there, "someone tell me what happened."  
  
"A Valaha," Kenzi explained in a quiet voice, barley audible to those listening. An uninvited vision of the creature, razor sharp teeth bared to the eerie glow of the moon, staring at her with blood thirsty eyes, came to her mind and she shuddered, once again hearing the agonized scream of Rikku as knocked her small frame to the earth. "There was one on the island last night. It...it attacked Rikku."  
  
"Are you serious?!" Botta yelped, his blue eyes wide with disbelief, much like the eyes of the others surrounding him.  
  
Jassu could only turn Rikku, his tan complexion unusually pale. "You...were attacked.by a Valaha?" His voice didn't sound at all like it usually did. The confident tone was gone, replaced by the terror stricken voice of a young man who had just been served a lethal amount of reality. The though of Rikku's life being endangered while he was away terrified him. What if she would have been killed? What would he have done then? She'd become such a big part of his life.  
  
"Jassu." Rikku reached up, placing her small hand on the side of his face. "I'm right here. I'm okay," she whispered, seeing the haunted look in his eyes.  
  
Not caring how much grief he would get from his fellow teammates, the blond Auroch pulled his tiny Al Bhed girlfriend into his arms and hugged her tightly.  
  
Across the room, Tidus' grip on Yuna's shoulders tightened as he watched Jassu cling to Rikku. Even Wakka unconsciously reached for Kenzi, unnerved by Jassu's reaction to the news. 'Any of them could have died. Even...Kenzi,' he thought, feeling an all consuming dread rise up within him. 'But she's not dead. She's here, with you,' he told himself firmly, forcing the disturbing thoughts aside.  
  
Rikku was doing everything in her power to calm Jassu, stroking his hair, whispering to him, all things of which no one had ever even seen her do before. Finally she pulled away from him and gripped the sides of his face in her hands, staring unwaveringly into his dark eyes. "Jassu. I'm okay, really. Look at me honey; I'm right here, safe and sound. Kenzi got to me before anything serious happened."  
  
"Whoa..what do you mean Kenzi got to you?" Wakka asked.  
  
Hearing the startled note in his hesitant voice, Kenzi cringed. He wasn't going to like hearing about how she had hid Rikku in the temple and purposely put herself in the Valaha's path. After she took a deep, steadying breath, she entwined her fingers through Wakka's, holding his gaze. Then...she told the entire story.  
  
When she finished the entire room fell into an unsettling silence. Wakka was the one to break it. He stared at Kenzi, his heart pounding unsteadily in his chest. "You faced off with the thing?"  
  
Kenzi watched him with pleading blue eyes. "I had no choice. Rikku was hurt. I..I had to save her."  
  
Now he was the one who was scared. It was like Jassu's fear had been transferred to him. Unwanted images of Kenzi's mangled body crept into his mind. "Kenz-," he whispered hoarsely.  
  
"Don't Wakka," she said, pulling him into her arms. "We're all okay. No one's dead and it's over. It's over okay?" She leaned back, placing her fingers under his chin and lifting his head. "What we need to figure out is why it was here."  
  
Everyone quickly collected their emotions. Kenzi had a point. They knew Valaha's were foreign to Besaid. There was no way one could have gotten there unless someone brought it in.  
  
"Well, I'm drawin' a blank. Don't know a single person that would purposely bring one of those in," Botta said. He scratched hi head. "Anybody else?"  
  
Kenzi frowned when her earlier suspicious resurfaced. No. No it wasn't Lulu. It may have made sense at the moment, especially when Kenzi thought back to that horrible glare Lulu had given her, but there was just no way.  
  
"You know what?" Wakka said, interrupting her thoughts. "It's been a pretty long day. We're all here tonight so if anything happens we'll be ready for it, ya? But right now I think we should all get some rest."  
  
Everyone agreed and within minutes the hut was cleared, leaving Kenzi and Wakka alone. Kenzi didn't know what to do. She didn't know what to say. So she looked around the hut, avoiding Wakka's eyes for fear he might lash out at her for being stupid enough to place herself in such obvious danger. Her gaze fell upon Sierra's blanket, wadded up in the corner, a little mass of pastel pink and green. She walked to the corner, crouching down and picking up the blanket. She clutched it to her chest, inhaling the soft baby scent. She hated to think of what might have happened to Sierra if Yuna hadn't been there to protect the small infant.  
  
"Kenzi?" Wakka spoke up behind her, his thick Besaid accent washing over her.  
  
"She could have gotten hurt. If Yuna hadn't been there to protect her that thing could have come back for Sierra. I'm so glad there were three of us and not just during that whole mess...but for the entire week. She was a handful but-," she murmured, her back still facing him, "but I'm really going to miss that little girl."  
  
"I'll be right back," Wakka said, suddenly leaving the hut.  
  
Kenzi wiped around, staring at the place he had just stood in shock. What on earth was that all about? Had she said something wrong? She didn't have much time to contemplate either question. In a matter of seconds Wakka was back, a tired grin pulling at his handsome lips. In his arms he held a simple crate with holes on either side. "What is that?" she asked.  
  
Wakka sat down on the bed and motioned for her to join him. "You were talkin' about Sierra and I just remembered," he said as she sat down next to him on his bed. "I got you something in Luca. Hope ya like it."  
  
Kenzi gaped up at him for a moment before turning her attention to the box he had set in her lap. He had gotten her a present? A spark of excitement lit inside her, slowly warming over the apprehensive emotions that had taken their toll on her body. She cast another glance at Wakka who was grinning like a child who had just been give twenty bags of candy and then pulled the lid off the box. "Oh Wakka!"  
  
Inside the box, staring up at her with deep chocolate eyes, his pink tongue lolling out the side of his mouth was a puppy. He was mostly black with perky ears, two white socks on his front paws and a patch of white covering one side of his face. He yapped once, going up on his hind legs and resting his front paws on the edge of the box.  
  
"I was gettin' some boxes from a merchant in Luca who was sellin' puppies. I saw this little guy and kind of thought he could be..well, ours."  
  
Tears collected in her eyes and she lifted the puppy out of the crate, hardly noticing when Wakka pulled it off and set it on the floor. The puppy's little tail wagged and he squirmed, trying to get closer to her so that he could place a sloppy puppy kiss on her face. She laughed, hugging his furry body close. "Wakka," she said, turning bright gray/blue eyes up to the man beside her. "Thank you so much."  
  
Wakka smiled as he wrapped a strong arm around her waist. "You're welcome Kenz. I'm glad you like him."  
  
"I love him," she cooed, nuzzling the animals cold, wet nose. "I think I'll name him Zack. He looks like a Zack, doesn't he?"  
  
"Yeah, he does," Wakka agreed.  
  
Zack decided that he had had enough excitement for one day, what with long hours on a ship and finding out he now belonged to two very kind looking people who appeared to be quite taken with him. He yawned once and buried his nose in Kenzi's, waggling his hind end once before settling in for a long night of sleep.  
  
"Wow, that was quick," Kenzi laughed. She pulled a quilt from the end of her and Wakka's bed, arranging it on the floor next to the bed. As carefully as she could without waking Zack up, she placed him in the warm folds of the blanket. He sniffled once, his leg twitching, but never once woke up. "You really are a sweetie Wakka," she murmured, smiling up at him.  
  
"I know. You make it real easy though." The tall Auroch pulled Kenzi into his arms, releasing a weary sigh. "I can't believe you faced off with a Valaha," he muttered. "Did you have anything to protect yourself with?"  
  
Allowing the mounted strain from the past hours to slide from her shoulders, Kenzi smiled impishly and reached down under the bed, extracting her katana from the safety of her bag. It slid free, the metal making a swishing noise as it passed over the fabric. Holding it up, she turned it, catching the light and displaying the Al Bhed words etched along the blade with artist's precision. "It was a gift to me, from my brother. He said that no one should be without a weapon in times like these."  
  
Wakka stared at the thin blade appreciatively, admiring the craftsmanship that had gone into it's making. "So you weren't exactly helpless, were ya?"  
  
"Nope. I learned how to use this when I was sixteen. I know how to protect myself Wakka." She slipped the katana back into her bag, pausing to place a loving pat on Zack's head and then leaned back against Wakka, listening to his steady breathing.  
  
Wakka's arms came around her, his muscles flexing as he held her tight. "I'm just glad you're safe. I..don't know what I woulda done if you weren't here when I got back. If you were.."  
  
Kenzi turned over. Now lying on top of him, her legs nestled in between his; she wrapped her arms loosely around his neck and stared up into his smoldering amber eyes. "But I am here." She pulled herself up; placing butterfly kisses over the strong column of his neck. "And I'll always be here Wakka. How about we concentrate more on how much I missed you?"  
  
A shiver coursed through Wakka's body as her lips neared the sensitive skin just below his ear and he grinned. "So ahh.how much did ya miss me?"  
  
Her sparkling blue gaze met his, her lips turning up in an impish smile. "I figured I'd just show you."  
  
"Well, you'll hear no complainin' from me."  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
*~* Kenzi's Dream *~*  
  
She was wandering the white sandy beaches of Besaid. Hair blowing in the salty sea air she had not a care as she picked her way along the sea debris. The waves rushed up around her bare feet. White foam clung to wet sand. In the distance she heard voices, talking in hushed whispers. She turned her head, seeking out the source of the sound and saw a stock of bright red hair. Wakka. Smiling, she rose up on her tiptoes and started to wave to him. But something was wrong. She stilled in her waving, a frown slowly replacing the beautiful smile. Yes it was Wakka...but he was with someone. A flash of black crossed her vision and cruel laughter filled her ears. Lulu.  
  
The black mage ran a hand up Wakka's strong arm, smiling flirtatiously at him. Kenzi's blood simmered. What was going on? She was so confused...and so angry! This wasn't happening. She called out Wakka's name, desperate to gain his attention. This had to be a mistake.  
  
The wild haired Auroch turned at the sound of his name being called and his cold gaze settled on Kenzi. Cold gaze? No, it couldn't be. He would never look at her like that. Even before when she had first met him and he had clearly despised her, he had still never regarded her with such frosty hatred.  
  
Kenzi yelled to him asking him what was going on, her voice hardly carrying above the sound of the waves that now seemed to violently pound against the shore. Her response came in the form of a grin. It wasn't a happy grin though. This grin was just as cruel as his eyes. He slowly raises a hand. In it dangled a rope. Her gaze followed the rope, down to the beach, across the patches of vegetation...and finally rested upon what the rope was holding. A Valaha. It looked wild. Foam dripped from it's mouth in heavy droplets, staining the pristine sand covered ground. A low, deathly growl rose from its throat.  
  
"The last one we sent failed us. You picked a weak one. Were you scared that she may die too fast?" Lulu was saying as she clung to Wakka's arm, a sick smile playing at her dark lips.  
  
"Nah, I just can't pick 'em the way you do Lu. This one looks like it'll do the trick though. Can't have a damn heathen livin' on the Island, now can we?"  
  
"No Wakka, of course not."  
  
The two smiled at each other, ignoring Kenzi's desperate cries of denial. What was going on? Why was she seeing this? What did it mean? Kenzi watched with a sinking feeling of dread as Wakka reached up and untied the rope from around the Valaha's neck. It lunged, coming for her with death clearly written in its glazed eyes. Kenzi screamed and screamed...but there was no one there to help her.  
  
Kenzi jerked up in bed. Her breath came out in short labored gasps and cold sweat soaked her forehead. Her wild gaze rested on Wakka, still sleeping peacefully beside her. He was beside her. Not with Lulu, not holding the leash that was attached to the creature that had been haunting her dreams. Placing a hand over her racing heart, Kenzi tried to still her breathing. Just a dream. It was just a dream. "More like a nightmare," she muttered in the dim light of the hut.  
  
A whimpering noise filled the room and she remembered Zack, Wakka's gift to her. Making a valiant effort to forget the horrible nightmare, she swung her legs over the side of the bed. Outside she could hear children laughing as they ran through the paved walkways of Besaid. It was morning. That was defiantly a good thing. She didn't think she could get back to sleep even if she tried. "Come on Zack," she murmured, standing up and pulling on a pair of jean shorts and a simple blue and yellow top.  
  
The puppy followed at her heals as she walked towards the temple. She was going to Yuna's place, the place Yuna had said she could use whenever something was troubling her. Well, now would defiantly be one of those times. She pushed branches out of her way, following the small path to the secluded beach. Zack rushed ahead of her, barking excitedly at non-existant bugs and prancing over the white sand.  
  
Kenzi watched him for a moment, amused by his antics. He was such a carefree little thing and she had Wakka to thank for such a present. He was so wonderful and he was not the type to turn on people. Not like in her nightmare. A small frown marred her brow. What had brought that on anyway? It was just as mysterious as the sudden appearance of that damn Valaha. She was never prone to nightmares, at least not nightmares this intense, so there was no way she could explain this to herself.  
  
"Maybe all that anxiety from last night traveled over into my dreams," she thought out loud. Her gaze went to the calm waters, searching for serenity in their cool, blue depths. It didn't take long. Common sense started taking over, washing away the effects of her wild imagination. She could think clearly once again. "Ugh, I can't believe I let a nightmare get to me like that." She laughed softly.  
  
Hearing the happy noise, Zack yipped and ran clumsily over to her, circling her ankles. "Oh you sweet little boy!" Kenzi crooned, reaching down and picking him up. "Can you believe I would actually let a nightmare bug me Zack?" The puppy sniffed in response. "Especially a nightmare that made Wakka look evil. Like that could ever happen. Even when he's angry he still has that sparkle in his eyes. Don't think the guys got an evil bone in his body!"  
  
She looked down at Zack. Lifting a finger to his nose she flicked it playfully, laughing when he pawed at the offensive appendage. "You know that's why I love him so much. He's so wonderful Zack. When I didn't know him personally, I could tell..I just knew that he was a kind person."  
  
Zack whimpered, nudging her hand with his wet nose. "What the matter sweetie?" she asked. He whimpered again, this time placing a white paw over the center of her chest. Kenzi smiled warmly. "You think I should tell Wakka how I feel?"  
  
The puppy barked and panted happily. Kenzi giggled. What a smart dog! "You really think I should Zack? We've been together for a while now. You really think now is the time to tell him?" Again the little puppy barked. "You're right honey. I've waited long enough. I think now is defiantly the time."  
  
A determined glint entered her gray eyes. Setting Zack down, she turned and made her way back up the incline. She was aware of the consequences of her actions. If there was one thing she had been over the past few years it had been aware. Always constantly aware of what rested on her shoulders, of what the thing inside her was capable of doing. It wanted to tear her apart; it wanted to tear the world apart. But this time Kenzi was convinced she could beat it. The love in her heart for Wakka swelled, almost unbearable in its extent. She would tell him and the evil within her would finally be gone. Then she would be truly free. Nothing had ever sounded so good before.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
*~* Wakka's Dream *~*  
  
He was at the Farplane. Man, how long had it been since he had last visited there? He knew the answer. It was back when they had been on Yuna's pilgrimage. That had been along time ago. Usually he never went more then a year without paying his little brother a visit.  
  
Pyerflies danced around him, swarming over the vast emptiness that surrounded the rocky platform. He remembered what Kenzi had said, about how happy they had looked and how they had calmed her when she had needed the most. Kenzi. God how he loved her. He'd never felt like this about anyone before. He thought he had known love when he was with Lulu, but he had been sadly mistaken. If only he would have realized how easily love and lust were mistaken before she had put him though hell. He sighed, shaking his head. Well, live and learn.  
  
"Wakka!"  
  
He jerked his head up at the sound of a rough male voice. There was no one. He looked around but saw nothing except the lonely space of the Farplane. That was strange. Voices were never heard on the Farplane unless they were your own. Suddenly the pyerflies shifted. They moved in swarms, forming a large circle in the sky before him. "What the..."  
  
They started shimmering and the scenery in front of him changed. The city of Bevelle stretched out before him. It was quiet. The silence was ghostly. Darkness had fallen, casting the large buildings and long paved streets into darkness. But there was light. There was light and in the center of it a crowd. The scene moved in and the faces slowly came into focus. Wakka gasped. "Chappu!" he yelled, his voice falling on deaf ears. What the hell was happening? What had been done to his brother?  
  
Chappu was on his knees before a crowd of masked Al Bhed. Blood matted his hair and clung to his grimy face. His clothes, which had at one point fit him, well now hung off him, torn and stained with blood and dirt. He raised lifeless eyes to the men in front of him. His lips curled up in a snarl. "I should have known," he growled. An Al Bhed moved up from behind him and slammed the butt of his gun down between Chappu's shoulder blades.  
  
"Chappu! NO!" Wakka shouted. He didn't want to see anymore. This couldn't have been the way his brother died.  
  
"You Al Bhed were never to be trusted. I should have listened to my brother!" he spat, clearly defying their attempts to bring him down. "Wakka had it right all along...I should have listened. Heathens."  
  
"And what would he have done for you boy," a feminine voice spoke up.  
  
Wakka's heart sank. "No..." he whispered, knowing that voice as well as he knew his own. "Oh no."  
  
A woman stepped forward, garbed in tight black shorts and a black and red bikini top. She pulled her goggles down around her neck, revealing stormy eyes. Strawberry blond hair fell to her shoulders in waves as she stared coldly at Chappu. Slowly, ever so slowly, she lifted the long gun gripped in her right hand, aiming it at Chappu's heart. "Even if you would have listened we still would have come for you. You still would have died."  
  
Wakka tried to run forward but he couldn't move his legs and although he knew it was futile, he yelled, desperate to make someone hear him. "KENZI! DON'T! YOU CAN'T DO THIS!"  
  
But obviously she could. "I'll find this brother of yours and as I watch his blood spill from his body, I'll tell him you said hi." Her finger tightened around the trigger and a deafening explosion rang through the air.  
  
Wakka awoke with a painful gasp, his wide, pain filled eyes staring in horror at the canvas ceiling. "Oh my god.." He whispered. The nightmare was still fresh in his mind. He couldn't rid himself of the images of Kenzi murdering Chappu. "It's not true," he muttered to himself. "It's not true." He wiped away the sweat clinging to his forehead. "It can't be."  
  
"But what if it is Wakka?"  
  
Wakka jumped, quickly pushing himself up and glaring at the woman sitting on the foot of his bed. "What the hell are you doing here Lu," he growled.  
  
The black mage sighed and shook her head. "I didn't come here to fight Wakka. I came here because..I think I had the same dream as you. Or rather, nightmare. I saw Chappu...and I saw Kenzi kill him."  
  
"Nightmares don't amount to shit Lulu and you know that, ya?" He was angry now. Angry with her intrusion, angry at the fact that her words were making him doubt the woman he had come to love.  
  
Lulu stood, brushing at her black skirts. "Fine. But I think we have been warned Wakka. And I'm not saying that because I don't like her. I'm saying it because I don't want to see you hurt. It may have been a nightmare..but I think it quite a coincidence that you and I both had the same one. It could have been a vision Wakka. Just be careful." She turned on her heel and left, a sinister grin firmly in place.  
  
Kenzi came around Wakka's hut, barley able to contain her excitement. This was it! She was actually going to tell him everything. And she did mean everything. From the moment she had first laid eyes on him to the time when she had met him in person on these very beaches. He was going to know it all! She couldn't be happier.  
  
As she rounded the corner to the door, she stopped dead in her tracks, apprehension skittering up her spine. Lulu walked calmly out of the hut. The black mage saw her, her red eyes narrowing. Beside Kenzi Zack started to growl. The sound was hardly intimidating and caused Lulu to release a cruel laugh. "I do hope that isn't your idea of a guard dog."  
  
Kenzi's blood boiled. How dare she insult her dog! "He sure as hell is," she said in a low voice.  
  
"Well little girl." Lulu turned her head in a haughty movement, tossing her long braids over her shoulder. "Dogs wont protect you from everything." She glanced once more at Zack, rolling her dark eyes. Then she was gone, walking back to her own hut across the way.  
  
Kenzi suppressed and outraged shriek. "The absolute nerve of that woman, insulting my baby like that!" Taking a deep breath, Kenzi tried to calm her shaken nerves. This was supposed to be a happy time. Things were finally going to go right for her and she wasn't going to let mean remark form a woman like Lulu ruin it. "That's right Zack. We're not going to let it get to us at all, are we?" She asked, picking the puppy up. He licked her face. "I'll take that as a yes," she said, laughing as she tried to wipe away the puppy slobber.  
  
Placing Zack down, she pulled back the cloth door and walked in, surprised to see Wakka up. "Hey you! I didn't expect you to be up. I was sure that you were going to sleep the entire day away," she said, smiling down at him.  
  
"Couldn't sleep," he muttered, keeping his gaze trained on the floor.  
  
Kenzi sat next to him, resting her head on his shoulder. "Neither could I. I had the strangest dream. It was actually a nightmare. I can't remember much from it now," she lied, not wanting to rehash the disturbing details to him, "but that's not important. I..want to tell you something. Please, just hear me out." She reached over and took his hand, noting briefly how cold it was. "We've been together for three weeks now...but I feel like I've known you longer then that. When I was younger I used to watch you play in Luca and wonder, 'who is that handsome man?' Granted I never knew you back then, but I really wanted to. And now that I do, I don't think I've ever been happier in my life. I..I wanted you to know that..that I love you Wakka," she ended on a whisper.  
  
Silence hung in the air. Something about it made Kenzi uneasy. Very uneasy. The feeling only grew when Wakka didn't answer right away. He remained silent, his eyes still fixed on the floor. Kenzi moved to sit in front of him, feeling so small compared to his large frame. "Wakka..are you okay? Did you hear me?"  
  
Gradually he lifted his head. Haunted amber eyes, edged with exhaustion stared at her as if she were a stranger. Wakka opened his mouth, speaking in a cold voice devoid of emotion. "You're an Al Bhed." 


	10. An End To It All

Alright, here it is! And with a little help I can honestly say I am very pleased about this chapter. Thank you Ari for convincing me to start in on it right away and to my sweet Wandered who was willing to play my temporary editor, I owe you a great amount of thanks. You picked out where I needed what and did a fantastic job of it. To the rest of you who reviewed, thank you so much. You're the reason this story turned out longer then I previously intended and I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. And now read on for the conclusion of "Forever Silent"  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing of FFX. The one who does though is a freakin' genius if I do say so myself! The only things belonging to me are Kenzi, Bree and Sierra.  
  
*~* An End To It All *~*  
  
"Wh-what?" Kenzi stared up at Wakka, taken aback by the words that had fallen like dead weight from his mouth. "You're an Al Bhed." She couldn't have heard him right. Please, for the love of Spira, say she had heard wrong! Blank amber eyes stared back at her, lacking any of the emotions she was so used to seeing. She felt numb. "I-," she tried to speak past the painful lump that had formed in her throat. Burning tears filled her eyes, spilling over her pale cheeks and blurring her vision. Then, in one swift and agonizing moment, her heart shattered.  
  
~You are mine now child.~  
  
Evil laughter filled her ears. The sound was deafening, like waves rushing around her. She had to go. She had to get out of there now. Through the blinding pain she managed to stumble to her feet. She refused to look at Wakka. She couldn't. The pain was too much. Once out the door she ran for her life as if Sin itself was chasing at her heals. Tears coursed down her cheeks, the world she thought she had know, the one she thought was safe, collapsing all around her. It hurt to think, it hurt to breath. God it hurt so much. She felt like she was dying inside.  
  
~Oh don't worry my dear,~ the evil hissed mockingly. ~You'll be dead soon enough.~  
  
Kenzi released a desperate cry of denial, choking on a heartbreaking sob. She ran faster, pushing herself, her bare feet kicking up tufts of sand. Someone yelled for her. Rikku. She ignored it. She didn't have time; it wasn't on her side right now. Nothing was.  
  
Rikku watched Kenzi as she disappeared down a path that lead to the Aurochs practice area of the beach. "That was strange," she murmured quietly to Jassu who stood next to her, thinking the same thing as he scratched absently at one tattooed arm.  
  
"You think we should go after her?"  
  
Rikku stared off into the distance, not answering him right away. Along the horizon black angry looking clouds were gathering, moving swiftly towards the island almost as if..they had a purpose. The fresh sea breeze was tainted. Although faint, Rikku could still sense it. An apprehensive chill seized her body. Something was terribly, terribly wrong.  
  
"Been a while since the last storm. You're not gonna freak out again, are ya?" Jassu lightly joked.  
  
Rikku frowned, unable to shake the feeling of imminent disaster. "Jassu," she started uncertainly. Terrified green eyes watched the clouds as they moved faster and faster, folding over each other as they swallowed the clear blue skies mercilessly. Suddenly Kenzi's tragic story came rushing back to her in its entirety, each word emphasized to startling clarity. "Oh no. Jassu, we have to get to Wakka!"  
  
Without questioning the frantic words of his girlfriend he followed as she took off at a dead run for Wakka's hut, not bothering to call out a warning as they came barreling in through the thick cloth door. Wakka glanced up from his spot on the bed, slight surprise registering in his otherwise bleak gaze. He hadn't moved since Kenzi had left.  
  
"Wakka," Rikku cried in a panic stricken voice, crouching in front of him. "What happened?"  
  
The tall Auroch shook hi head slowly. He looked sad, so sad.  
  
"Wakka please." She gripped his larger hands in her own. "This is really important. Tell me what happened."  
  
"Kenzi." He paused, swallowing hard. "I..I had a dream that...she killed Chappu."  
  
"That's impossible Wakka," Rikku said firmly. "First of all Kenzi could never do something like that and you know it. Second..she was at Home..with me..when your brother died. Sin killed him Wakka. What you had was a nightmare. That's all."  
  
The red headed man went deathly pale. "With you-."  
  
"Yes. She didn't even leave Home until months after I had."  
  
"Oh god." He was going to be sick. How could he do that to her? How could he let a dream make him doubt her loyalty and more importantly her love? "She...she told me she loved me."  
  
Sickening dread filled the pit of Rikku's stomach. "And you didn't-."  
  
Wakka looked up at her, his expression one of complete helplessness. "No."  
  
"We gotta find her. Now!" Jassu said, already out the door. "Rikku, which path did she take?"  
  
"The one that goes down to where you guys practice."  
  
Wakka stared at the two as if they had just lost their minds. Why were they reacting like this? He stood, following them outside. "Jeez, you guys are actin' like you're the ones that hurt her. What's the deal?"  
  
"Wakka, you don't understand. We have to find Kenzi right now. She's in danger." Rikku grabbed his hand, yanking him along with resolve.  
  
"Danger? What are you talking about?!" He was starting to get irritated. He was already confused and they were only making it worse by not telling him what was going on. He planted his feet firmly and Rikku let out a startled yelp as she fell back against him. "Tell me what's going on Rikku."  
  
The tiny Al Bhed shook her head frantically. "There's no time Wakka. We have to get to her before-."  
  
"Before what!? I ain't movin' one step until someone tells me what the hell is going on!"  
  
Jassu stepped forward, placing a hand on his captain's broad shoulder. "Wakka, Kenzi's has this somethin' inside of her. When she was wanderin' she came across this..this thing. Whatever it was possessed her body. It's in there now, feedin' off her emotions. Kenzi told us that as long as she had control she was fine. It couldn't do anything. But if she lost control..it would use her to destroy Spira."  
  
Wakka could only stare at Jassu in complete shock. There was something living inside Kenzi? Was that even possible?  
  
"Please Wakka." Jassu's dark gaze was pleading. "We have to get to her."  
  
Finally the truth hit home and Wakka knew fear like he had never known before. Kenzi was in danger, and it was his fault. He had to do something. Without a word he started in the direction of the beach, his blood pounding in his ears.  
  
Rikku and Jassu followed him, calling out to their friends for help as they passed their huts. Thinking another Valaha had come to the island, they immediately joined the growing crowd as it quickly made it's way for the beach. Botta, Datto and Keepa fell in behind Jassu, listening the older man as he called for inhabitants of the village to stay inside and hide their children. "What's goin' on guys?" Botta asked. "Another fiend?"  
  
"No," Jassu replied deadpan. "Kenzi's in trouble."  
  
No more needed to be said then that. In silence the group hurried to their fallen teammate. Seconds later Yuna and Tidus also joined, knowing in their guts that something horrible was about to happen. Above them the clouds churned in deadly circles and stillness settled over the island. If only they knew what they were up against.  
  
Kenzi stumbled, falling to the sandy ground. A sob broke from her lips as her body slammed into the earth. She felt like she was on fire. Pin pricks of heat stabbed at her flesh. She was crying in earnest now, knowing with deep certainty that her life was quickly coming to an end. Hers and the rest of Spira's. There was nothing she could do to stop it.  
  
The evil within her laughed, squeezing icy fingers around her heart. Kenzi screamed in pain, struggling to her hands and knees. She had to get away. She had to find away to keep the evil from her friends. It was the least she could do for them.  
  
"KENZI WAIT!!"  
  
"R-Rikku?" She lifted her tired gaze to where her friend stood, a mass of people behind her. Oh god, it was all of them. Her team, Tidus and Yuna, Letty and his wife, Bree. Even Wakka stood there, his horrified gaze locked on her. "No," she chocked. "Please, you have to get away."  
  
Rikku came running down the slope, sliding to her knees in the sand before Kenzi. Small hands gripped her shoulders and Kenzi cried out as pain wracked her body.  
  
"It's okay Kenzi, we're here now. We wont let this thing hurt you," she murmured urgently.  
  
Kenzi shook her head. "He's already hurting me. Please Rikku," she gasped as another spasm of pain shot through her. "Get...them out of here. Get as far away as you can before he comes."  
  
Rikku's eyes narrowed. "No! I'm not leaving you here Kenzi. Not like this."  
  
"Then kill me. Kill me before he kills you all Rikku!" she screamed, desperate to be free of the pain. Desperate to save the fate of Spira. "It's the only way. He'll use me and he'll destroy everything."  
  
A thud sounded next to them and Kenzi felt herself being pulled up by strong hands. "You ain't goin' no where legs. Not while I'm here. That thing is gonna have to go through me if he wants you."  
  
Kenzi tried to pull herself free. "JASSU NO! Don't you understand? He's going to kill you all! Kill me before he gets free and Spira will have a chance," she screamed brokenly. "Please Jassu..."  
  
"No. You said yourself that you don't want to die," he murmured close to her ear. "Remember?"  
  
"I..I don't. God I don't...but it's too late Jassu." As soon as the whispered words passed her lips blazing pain consumed her. Kenzi was jerked backwards, her body sprawling on the white sands.  
  
Wakka was frozen. He watched in horror as the woman he loved was picked up by an unseen force and thrown hard against a wall of rocks. She cried out, the sound tearing at his heart. "Kenzi!" He yelled. Then he was moving forward, running across the beach to where her crippled, bleeding body lay. He had to get her. He had to save her. If she died..he wouldn't be able to go on.  
  
Before he could get to her, Kenzi released a tormented scream. Her body arched, lifting from the ground and dark red/gray smoke started pouring from her skin, surrounding her. Lightning split the sky, the thunder drowning out the tormented moans of the Al Bhed as she struggled to fight the thing inhabiting her. The smoke, swirling in thick waved left Kenzi, moving several yards away where it sat waiting, giving those who were foolish enough to stay and protect the helpless woman one last chance to escape.  
  
Collapsing on the ground beside Kenzi, Wakka pulled her limp body into his arms. "Kenzi," he whispered hoarsely, brushing damp strands of hair away from her pale face. "Kenz...come on hun, pull out of this." He begged for all he was worth, his heart breaking painfully with every silent minute that passed. Tears filled his amber eyes, spilling onto Kenzi's bare shoulder. "Come on Kenzi. Please don't leave me."  
  
"Wakka?"  
  
His head snapped up and he stared into her weary gray eyes. "Kenzi." He held her close, refusing to let her go. "I'm sorry. God, I'm so sorry. I don't know what I was thinkin'," he said, his voice trembling with emotion. "I...I didn't mean it Kenzi...none of it. I had this nightmare and...and I wasn't thinkin' straight." He pulled away, keeping one arm wrapped under her shoulders as he lifted the other, brushing blunt fingertips over her jawbone. "I love you Kenzi. I love you so much."  
  
With what strength she had left, Kenzi wrapped her arms around Wakka's neck, clinging to him. Tears ran in scalding rivers down her face. "I love you too," she whispered but already she could feel the cold closing in on her. Invisible fingers moved up her arms chilling her skin. More grabbed at her ankles. Shivering, she leaned back in his embrace, knowing her time was up. She cradled his handsome face between her hands and pressed her lips against his, tasting the salty tears he had cried for her. "Oh sweetie..Wakka, it's too late." She hung her head in defeat as the icy fingers gripped her arms and legs. "It's too late."  
  
Wakka gasped as she was ripped from his arms and drug back into the swirling clouds of red. "NO!" he yelled, jumping to his feet. Arms were immediately around him, holding him back. "Let me go!" he demanded furiously. "Kenzi!"  
  
"Wakka, cool it!" Tidus said, trying to keep the enraged man from doing anything irrational and possibly fatal.  
  
Holding one of Wakka's arms, Jassu nodded. "Tidus is right. Lets just wait for this thing to show itself, ya?"  
  
Smooth laughter, reeking of distain filled the air as the smoke began to billow into a large pillar and drift over the agitated waters of the sea. Slowly a form started to take shape. Long arms with tapered elegant fingers, a body cloaked in what appeared to be some sort of robe, and the face of a man, his evil smirk and cold eyes holding nothing but hatred. Outrageous blue hair spiked up and fell in two ridiculous looking pigtails over his shoulder as another shorter strand swept his brow, complimenting the dark veins that spread over the mans forehead.  
  
"Oh you have GOT to be kidding me!" Tidus groaned, being the only who would possibly make such a careless statement. "How many times do we have to kill this jerk off!?"  
  
"Ahh, the star player of the Zanarkand Abes! I see you haven't changed at all. Pity." Seymour's eyes narrowed as he stared down at the group of Kenzi's protectors. "Are you looking for this?" he asked, lifting an arm in front of his chest. Billowing fabric from his robes concealed his chest for a brief second, and then moved away revealing to them all Kenzi. She hung from what appeared to be silver metallic claws that protruded from Seymour's massive shoulders. The claws had pierced her flesh and blood ran down her arms. Her head hung, strawberry blond hair falling in waves over her face.  
  
Wakka's blood ran cold. "Oh god," he whispered in horror. Not Kenzi, not his Kenzi. He had to do something. He had to save her!  
  
Seymour laughed cruelly, shaking his head. "Oh god? You bring about the death of Spira and that's all you can say you bumbling fool?" He turned his gaze to Kenzi, bringing a hand up and brushing it over her side in a sickening caress. Kenzi moaned, trying to pull away. "So this is who you gave your heart to? Who you watched for years with such longing? And this is the one who so easily tore your poor heart in two? Can you actually still love such a pathetic human being..one who lets a ridiculous nightmare decide his fate?"  
  
Although the effort was almost too much, Kenzi raised her eyes, meeting and holding Wakka's gaze. "Yes," she whispered.  
  
"Hmm...so be it then."  
  
"Leave her alone!" Wakka screamed, desperation and anger feeding his adrenaline.  
  
Seymour only laughed harder. Lifting his hand he formed a bright ball of electric blue energy, draining Kenzi to fuel his own selfish needs. A guttural scream tore from her lips. No, no...this wasn't happening. "Stop," she sobbed, watching Seymour take aim at Datto. "No! Datto run!"  
  
Wakka heard Kenzi's cry and reached over, grabbing Datto's arm and yanking him away just as the blast crashed into the earth where the young man had once stood. This was insane! Seymour had to be stopped but how could they possibly destroy him without hurting Kenzi? Tidus suddenly appeared next to him, wielding the Brotherhood that Wakka had given him so long ago. "She'll come out alive Wakka," he assured him, his blue eyes narrowing in determination. "We'll make sure of it."  
  
Yuna stepped up on his other side, holding her staff in front of her. "Yes," she stated simply. Rikku appeared next to the Summoner, her arms adorned with vicious looking claws. Behind them Wakka could feel his team position themselves for battle.  
  
Casually observing his foes, Seymour allowed a mocking smile to curve his lips. "Do what you must to stop me," he said calmly, "but know this. My pain will only bring your darling Al Bhed closer to her death."  
  
Wakka glared at the Guado, feeling hatred boiling in his veins. He would pay for what he had done to Kenzi. He would pay for the suffering she had been put through. He would make sure of it. There had to be some way of defeating him, once and for all. But what? Suddenly it all became very clear. Kenzi. Kenzi was the reason Seymour was alive right now. He had used her body to rebuild himself. Without her...he was nothing.  
  
"Capn'," Botta murmured behind him.  
  
Wakka turned his head slightly to the side, never taking his eyes of Seymour. "Ya?"  
  
"Here." The red headed guard placed something in Wakka's hand. Lifting it, Wakka grinned maliciously. The World Champion. It sat in his hand like and old friend, assuring him victory. But only if-.  
  
"KENZI!" he yelled. Her gaze met his and his heart seized painfully. Her eyes, once alive with love and warmth stared back at him, lifeless. 'It's okay hun,' he promised silently. 'We'll get you out of there.' He raised the World Champion in front of him, charging it with a multi-elemental attack. If he was going to hit Seymour, he had to hit him with everything he had. "He's nothing without you," he said with absolute certainty, knowing she could clearly hear him. Lowering his voice so that only those around him could hear, Wakka began issuing instructions for the attack. "Tidus, Rikku..keep him distracted. Go for the face and the arms but stay clear of Kenzi. Anybody else feel free to join. Just keep his attention off Kenzi."  
  
The words penetrated the thick fog clogging Kenzi's mind. He was nothing without her. Her eyes went wide as she watched Wakka charge a blitzball with a deadly attack. He was going to use it against Seymour. With her, there was a chance the demented Guado would actually survive...but without her he was as good as dead. Energy surged through her along with renewed hope. She began struggling against the sharp bonds that held her, pulling despite the pain that exploded inside her as the blades inched deeper into her arms.  
  
Seymour laughed manically. "You would actually destroy the one you love just to get to me? Ah Guardian, you were always the fool of the group." He continued to laugh, dodging attacks as they came, countering in an uninterested fashion.  
  
When Kenzi saw her friends move back from Wakka, ceasing their attacks and allowing him room, her movements became frantic. He was going on pure faith. Faith that she would be able to pull herself free before the attack hit.  
  
Seymour's devious smile suddenly disappeared when he felt Kenzi start to yank violently against her binds. "Wh-what are you doing? NO!" he shouted, fury burning in his eyes.  
  
The ball went up, coming back down in slow motion and with one swift kick it came right for her and the Guado. Kenzi screamed, pulling as hard as she possibly could. Everything fell into silence save for the distinct slicing noise as Kenzi plummeted into oblivion.  
  
The massive explosion shook the island, bending the trees back on their roots, forcing a massive wave of water back into the fathomless sea, blowing up sand from the shore. Those standing on the beach went to their knees, lifting their arms in an attempt to protect themselves. As the dust cleared, so did the clouds, retreating to the horizon in which they had come from. A silence hung over the island. The sun cast its rays of dusk onto the land. Pink hues turned to deep violet and stars slowly winked to life.  
  
Standing at the shore, the tide washing in a hushed caress over his feet, Wakka stared out over the waters, his eye searching...searching for her, the woman who had shown him how to live again. His Kenzi. But the only thing to greet him was the endless silence. She was gone and he was empty.  
  
Tidus turned from his friend, the first man to ever give him a kind word when he had washed up on Besaid. He felt his pain as if it were his own, deep and burning. His gaze sought out Yuna. The Summoner stood, silent tears of grief staining her cheeks. "Yuna," he whispered, crossing the sand and enveloping her trembling figure in his arms. "You have to send him Yuna. And..you have to give her peace," he said, almost choking on the words. He knew Kenzi and Yuna had been close and he knew it would take Yuna a long time to get over the loss..but even the deep sorrow couldn't stop her from performing the task at hand.  
  
Yuna closed her eyes, her brows drawing together as she tried to suppress the sobs clogging her throat. When they opened again, the multi colored orbs were filled with purpose. She moved forward. All around her was grief, it was the only she could see. Jassu and Rikku clinging to each other as they shared the sorrow of their loss, Botta standing so still, tears glistening on his face, Datto and Keepa, both sitting on the ground with their heads hung, shoulders trembling with silent crying. Grief. So poignant, so raw...so unnecessary. If only things could have been different.  
  
The soft padding of her feet over the calm waters carried to Wakka. Empty eyes watched Yuna as she began to dance. Pyerflies rose drifted up, glittering in the darkness of the oncoming night. He remembered how Kenzi had said they looked so happy. He sank to his knees with a pitiful sob, burying his face in his hands. His massive shoulder shook as he cried. This pain would never stop. He would never again feel the kind of wholeness he felt when Kenzi was with him.  
  
Yuna finished dancing. She walked into Tidus' arms and they sadly motioned for the rest to go with them, leaving their Captain behind to mourn in peace.  
  
Wakka dug a hand into the sand, wishing he could bring her back. He wasn't able to tell her how much he needed her. "I'm so sorry Kenz..so sorry," he murmured, his voice catching.  
  
"Oh Wakka," a feminine voice whispered to him, filling his ears with the memory of her touch. "Don't be sorry Wakka. Please don't be sorry."  
  
He lifted his head slowly, afraid to believe what he had heard. Her voice had been so clear, almost as if she were actually there. And she was. He watched her walk from the water, his eyes wide with disbelief. "Kenzi-." Wakka stumbled to his feet.  
  
She smiled weakly and nodded. "Yeah. I made it," she murmured.  
  
Wakka ran through the water to her, wrapping his arms around her tiny waist and holding her as close as cried immodestly on her shoulder. Her musical watery laughter filled his ears and his heart, returning the warmth he thought he had lost. "I'm never lettin' you go again," he whispered into her hair.  
  
"Is that a promise?"  
  
He chuckled, tears of joy replacing the ones of sorrow. "Oh yeah, that's a promise." He pulled away from her, cradling the side of her face in one hand. Her beautiful gray eyes sparkled with tears but they could not outshine the love so clearly written in their depths. "Kenzi..I love you."  
  
"I love you too Wakka," she murmured, raising up on her tiptoes and rubbing her nose against his. He smiled down at her. "It feels so good to be able to say that. It's been so long since I was able to openly admit my feelings."  
  
"You can tell me you love me whenever you want to, ya?"  
  
Kenzi laughed softly. "I will Wakka." Her gaze flickered to her arms and she winced. "I think we should go find Yuna."  
  
Confused, Wakka glanced at the arm she had draped over his shoulder. "Shit Kenz, why didn't you say something?" he yelped, seeing the large lacerations from the claws that had held her captive.  
  
"I was going to," she said a bit breathlessly. She slumped against him. Now that the initial joy of living had passed she was once again able to feel how the loss of blood was affecting her. "But I wanted to say hi first."  
  
With a short bark of laugher, Wakka lifted her in his strong arms and quickly carried her back to the village. Coming up a hill he caught sight of the others walking a ways ahead of them. "Yuna! Hold up," he called, "I could use a little help here!"  
  
Shocked to hear the note of joy in Wakka's voice, Yuna turned and her jaw dropped. "Oh my! Kenzi!"  
  
"What?!" Rikku shrieked, also whipping around. "KENZI!!!"  
  
She started running to where the happy couple was, Kenzi cradled safely in Wakka's arms and smiling at her friends. "Gotta be faster then that Rikku!" Botta shouted as he passed her, kicking up sand and laughing. Of course where Botta was Keepa and Datto were not far behind. The swarmed around their Captain and his girlfriend, all talking at once.  
  
"Whoa guys. Let her get healed first," Wakka scolded lightly, understanding their joy at seeing the Al Bhed they had become so close to still alive.  
  
Yuna smiled as she stepped forward, picking up one of Kenzi's hands and placing a light kiss on it. Tears still clung to her flushed cheeks, proof of her sadness for what she thought she had lost. "I'm so happy that you're okay. Let's get you fixed up, shall we?"  
  
"It would be much appreciated Lady Yuna," Kenzi teased, wrinkling her pert nose. Taking a deep breath, she relaxed, allowing Yuna to cast a cura over her arms. Although they didn't close up, the wound healed enough and the bleeding stopped. Kenzi breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you so much Yuna." She looked around at the group of happy people surrounding her. "Thank you all. Knowing that you were all so willing to protect me-."  
  
"Come on legs," Botta muttered, blushing slightly. "You know we'd do anything for ya."  
  
Kenzi smiled, her stormy eyes softening. "I know. I would do the same for any of you."  
  
Allowing Wakka to momentarily set her on her feet, she tearfully gave each of her friends a hug. But the time she was returned to her ever watchful boyfriend she was exhausted. He picked her up once again, secretly pleased by how easily her body fit in his arms and with an apologetic smile to the group surrounding them said, "Hope you guys don't mind but I'm gonna take her back to our place so she can rest."  
  
"Rest my ass," Botta quipped lightly, drawing laughter from the tired crowd. He winked at Kenzi and rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry legs, couldn't resist."  
  
"That's alright Botta." She yawned, laying her head on Wakka's shoulder. "Saw it comin' a mile away."  
  
Chuckling, Wakka turned in the direction of home, wanting to get Kenzi to bed where she could sleep off the horrors of the afternoon.  
  
"Wakka...wait," a voice called out, stopping him.  
  
Lulu was walking down the hill they had just come from, her gaze guarded, her belt adorned skirts making soft clinking noises as approached them. She shot a hasty, uncomfortable look at Kenzi before stopping in front of them. Kenzi ignored it. She was still angry that the woman had stooped low enough to insult her puppy.  
  
"What is it Lu?" Wakka asked, impatience evident in his tone.  
  
"I-." Her shoulders slumped and a pained sigh escaped her dark lips. "I owe you both an apology."  
  
"For what?"  
  
Lulu cast an uneasy glance at the group behind her. "I saw what happened on the beach. I saw what Seymour did and...and I heard the reason why. I'm sorry."  
  
"You don't have to be sorry," Kenzi said hesitantly. "You're not the one who put that thing in me."  
  
"No. But had I knows the danger before-."  
  
Wakka's eyes narrowed suspiciously and his grip around Kenzi tightened in an unconscious gesture of protection. "Before what?"  
  
Shamefully hanging her head, the black mage spoke in a muted voice. "The Valaha, the nightmares..that was me."  
  
Kenzi and Wakka's jaws dropped simultaneously. "You?!" Wakka questioned, not able to believe that Lulu was capable of such a thing. "You brought a Valaha here? You have me that nightmare?" His voice rose along with his anger as he spoke. "You made me doubt the only woman who actually cares about me?"  
  
Lulu winced, his harsh words accurately hitting their mark. "I'm sorry," she tried again, but to no avail.  
  
"How could you do that Lu?"  
  
"I don't know Wakka," she cried passionately, her calm demeanor shattering violently. "I was angry! Angry at you for running to..to her!" She glared accusingly at Kenzi but the Al Bhed only arched a sardonic brow as if to say, "Go on. I know you've got more then that."  
  
"I was angry that you wasted absolutely no time in replacing me. You were so happy with her yet all we ever did was fight."  
  
"And who's fault is that?!" he demanded, furious with her for attacking Kenzi.  
  
A hand brushed his shoulder and he looked down into the stormy eyes of the woman in his arms. Her gaze was pleading and suddenly the anger drained away, leaving in its place a deep fatigue. He was tired of fighting with Lulu, tired of her negative views and he was beyond tired of being the target of her constant anger. Being the one she blamed everything on. "You know what Lu? I'm through with this. What you did was wrong. You endangered innocent lives and for what? A relationship that you ended yourself. I'm sure you realize how stupid that was so I'm not even going to get into this with you. I'm finished."  
  
Lulu stared at him for a moment, then seeing no point to staying around much longer to endure his rejection she turned to leave. Kenzi, however, had not gotten to say much of anything and she most certainly wanted to. She wiggled free of Wakka's arms and after making sure she could walk without stumbling to her knees she pulled her shoulders back and fixed an impassive look on her face. "Lulu?"  
  
The black mage turned slowly, lifting her chin slightly as she faced Kenzi.  
  
Seeing the movement and knowing it was one that was meant to set her in her place, Kenzi resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Instead, she walked up to the older woman, staring at her fearlessly. "I'm sorry if you're unhappy because you lost the man you love. And I'm sorry that seeing Wakka with someone who makes him happy makes you angry...but you're not the only one who lost Chappu. Wakka lost him too. And instead of being jealous, maybe you should try being happy that he found someone who will help him deal with that pain and maybe...maybe you should find a way to deal with it too."  
  
"I-," the dark haired woman started to say, surprised that Kenzi had so easily exposed the truth behind her anger. Wakka was happy, he was moving on and Lulu was angry because she couldn't. Loosing Chappu had hurt so much. She had thought that being with Wakka would make that pain easier but it had only made it worse for both of them. No matter how hard they had wanted to get over Chappu's death, they couldn't do it together. And now Wakka has found a way...and she was left behind to deal with her lovers death on her own.  
  
Kenzi placed a hand on Lulu's shoulder, her gray eyes softening with sympathy as she stared up at the confused woman. "I know it's hard, especially when you have no one to help you through your pain. But you have to find a way or you'll never be truly happy."  
  
Dark eyes filling with tears, Lulu nodded solemnly. "You are right," she whispered, trying valiantly to keep rein of her emotions. "Kenzi, I'm sorry for what I did. It was childish of me and extremely dangerous. Can you...can you forgive me?"  
  
"Yes," Kenzi answered with a small nod. "But only if you take back what you said about my puppy." She grinned ruefully, hoping to lighten the somber mood of the black mage.  
  
A quirk of the lips was the only response she received, but it was enough for the moment. "I take back what I said about your puppy. Although small, he will be an amazing guard dog some day." She sighed and straightened her shoulders, knowing in her heart that it was time to take her leave of this place and the memories it held. "I will go to the Farplane and see Chappu one last time. Then, Kenzi...I'll take the advice you have given me. Hopefully it will work."  
  
"I wish you luck then," Kenzi murmured, offering the older woman a friendly smile.  
  
She didn't return it but then again Kenzi hadn't expected her to. The black-garbed mage only gave a brief incline of her head, and then walked away, returning to her hut. Breathing a sigh of relief Kenzi returned to Wakka's side and held out her arms in a pitifully feeble gesture. "You can pick me up again."  
  
Wakka chuckled softly, happy to oblige her request. Their group of friends had already retreated to their huts for the evening, each of them emotionally and physically exhausted. Starting back to their own home with trudging steps Wakka looked down at the beautiful creation dozing in his arms. Strands of her silky hair blew lightly across her brow and a satisfied smile played at her lips. "How did you do that Kenz?" he asked, curious to hear how the leggy Al Bhed had swayed Lulu in a matter minutes when he hadn't even been able to do it in years.  
  
Kenzi yawned, turning her head into his chest as her smile widened. "I just told here what she was trying to hide from herself." Stormy eyes opened to gaze up at him, understanding and sympathy written in their depths. "I think she'll be okay now. She was very unhappy, Wakka. Maybe now that she realizes that she'll find a way to be happy."  
  
"We can hope hun," he murmured, using his shoulder to push the heavy cloth door of his hut aside. Excited yapping filled the room as Jack leapt from the bed and scurried across the room, ears perked up in awareness. Wakka set Kenzi down and watched on with quiet delight as she picked up the tiny puppy and flopped back on the bed, laughing up at the wiggling animal. "Oh my little Zack. Mama was so afraid she wouldn't be able to come back to you," she whispered, placing the black and white bundle on her chest and allowing him to nuzzle her neck, cheeks and underneath her chin. It was an enchanting scene, one that warmed Wakka's heart and made him vision Kenzi doing much the same to their children.  
  
Going to the bed, he laid down next to her on his side, propping himself up on his elbow. Kenzi set Zack aside. The little mongrel circled once, twice, then deciding he had a pretty good spot, curled into a little ball next to Kenzi's side and heaved a great breath. Laughing, Kenzi turned her full attention on Wakka, her gray/blue eyes staring up at him with such love and compassion that a lump of emotion rose in his throat. He never knew it was possible to love someone so much. "Kenz, I wanted to ask you something," he said softly.  
  
She took his hand in hers, entwining their fingers. "You can ask me anything Wakka."  
  
"Why didn't you tell me?"  
  
Kenzi looked down at their hands as a slight frown puckered her brow. "Because if I told you I thought you would feel obligated to return whatever feelings I had for you. That's not what I wanted." She turned her gaze back to meet his. "I wanted your love unconditionally. I didn't want to force you to feel anything for me."  
  
Smiling, Wakka leaned down, resting his forehead against hers. He had to resist the urge to kiss her. He still had one question he wanted to ask before getting sidetracked in the passion she always seemed to effortlessly ignite in him. "You got my love now Kenz. Unconditional..and forever." Seeing the joyful tears collect in her eyes he chose to go on quickly before he lost complete control and started lazy, zealous love to her right then and there. "Another thing. Seymour said somethin'. Somethin' about you watchin' me for years. What did he mean?"  
  
An embarrassed flush stained her cheeks and she ducked her head, trying to hide from his imploring eyes. "It's nothing...really."  
  
"Kenz." Using his fingers he tilted her chin up and smiled down into her beautiful face. "You can tell me."  
  
"Okay," she said after a long moment of silence. "When...when I was sixteen I went to my first Blitzball tournament in Luca. I went there to watch my brother. But then I saw you. I...I'd never seen someone so handsome in my entire life. When the game was done I went to search for you. I'm not really sure what I would have said...I just wanted to see you. You were on the docks, arguing with a young man. I think it was...your brother. After that day I couldn't get you out of my mind. Every day I thought about you and I would go to every Blitzball game and tournament in hopes of seeing you there. I...I guess." Her voice dropped to a whisper as she finished her admission. "I fell for you. I know it sounds ridiculous but I really did. When Tidus recruited me I was so excited. I was finally going to be able to meet you. So...now you know what he meant."  
  
Wakka stared at her in astonishment, his heart filling with love so strong that it almost hurt. She had really felt that way about him for that long? She must have been so strong..seeing him and Lulu together and still keeping such control of her emotions. She was..amazing. "Kenz," he whispered, his admiration for her growing by the second. He pulled her into his arms, placing gentle kisses over the sleek column of her neck. "God, I love ya Kenzi."  
  
Kenzi smiled, feeling a joy she had never known fill her being, erasing every fear, every niggling remainder of doubt until all she could feel was the love that pulsated through her with such intensity that it brought tears to her eyes. "Oh Wakka..I love you too. I love you so much."  
  
He leaned back, giving her a rakish grin, one she knew all too well and welcomed all the more. "Care to show me how much?" He asked pulling her body on top of his so that her legs straddled him. She smiled down at him, her hair falling around her face, her cheeks flushed with desire. "Now that I don't have to try so hard to be silent about it," she mused, running her hands slowly up his bare chest. "I think I'll spent the rest of my life showing you just how much." 


	11. Epilogue

Disclaimer: Same rules apply, I own nothing but my characters.  
  
*~* Epilogue *~*  
  
Standing in the walkway to the locker rooms of the massive Luca Stadium, a woman lifted a hand to shade her stormy eyes from the glare of the sun off of the watery Blitzball sphere. Perched on her hip was a child with a head full of glorious strawberry blond curls and curious amber eyes. "Now where is he?" the woman questioned softly as the child tugged at the fabric of her bright blue tank top. "The game was over five minutes ago. They should be here by now, don't you think Ari?"  
  
The child merely looked up at her mother and giggled, waving her tiny fists gleefully.  
  
"You're such a silly thing!" the mother laughed, dropping a feather light kiss on her daughter's forehead.  
  
"Kenz! Hey Kenzi!"  
  
The woman turned at the sound of her name being called, a smile instantly breaking out on her gorgeous face. "Letty! I'm surprised to see you here! I thought you'd be at the hospital with Bree." A slight frown momentarily replaced her bright smile. "Is everything okay? How's Bree?"  
  
"She's doin' great," the tanned ex-Auroch said as he stopped in front of her. "And so is our son! 9 pounds 11 ounces!"  
  
"Letty! That's wonderful!" she exclaimed, giving her friend a one armed hug. "You must be so proud."  
  
"I am. He's the cutest little guy too. And strong. I got a little blitzer on my hands."  
  
"Who's a little blitzer?" Rikku asked, joining them with a very pregnant Yuna at her side. Rikku herself was starting to show, only months behind Yuna in her pregnancy, something of which Jassu and Tidus were immensely pleased about as well as worried. Although marriage agreed with them all considerably it was obvious the two were going to spend a majority of their newly wed lives worrying about their pregnant wives.  
  
"Bree had a boy! We're naming him Dylan," Letty boasted, crossing strong arms over his chest.  
  
Yuna smiled up at him, a hand resting maternally over the swell of her stomach. "That's great. Congratulations Letty."  
  
The tall man bowed slightly out of habit. He still showed quite a bit of respect for the summoner, even though she insisted he didn't. "Thank you Yuna."  
  
Suddenly the crowd sitting in the bleachers above the entrance to the locker rooms began cheering wildly and the Aurochs, wearing wide smiles as they waved to their fans, came down the walkway.  
  
"Hey, hey...where's my little mascot!?" Jassu shouted, earning himself an excited squeal of laughter from Ari. He trotted up to Kenzi, sweeping her up in a quick hug and ruffling Ari's downy hair. "You've done good my little good luck charm!" His appreciative gaze traveled to his wife, standing a few feet away and wearing a shy smile that was so unlike her and yet so adorable. "But you...you're the one I've been waitin' to see." He left Kenzi, giving her a quick apologetic look before going to Rikku.  
  
Laughing at Jassu's shameless display of affection, Kenzi turned back to face the group of Aurochs, congratulating each of them as they passed. When her eyes settled on her own husband she felt her heart catch. He was shaking his head, freeing the wild strands of hair from clinging droplets of water. When he saw her his smile widened.  
  
"Da.da!!" Ari chirped, waving her hands at Wakka.  
  
Kenzi laughed, nuzzling the top of her daughter's head. "That's right baby, that's daddy! Isn't he handsome?"  
  
Ari cooed in response, going wild with excited giggles when her daddy snatched her up and tossed her into the air, easily catching her and then holding her tiny body in his muscular arms. "Hey there cutie. I saw you an mom chearin'. Don't think I coulda won the game without you two bein' here." He used one arm to pull Kenzi close. "Hey hun," he whispered as his lips came down to claim hers in a sweet kiss.  
  
"Hey yourself," she murmured back with an indulgent smile. She would never tire of such wonderful attention from the man she loved. "You played great Wakka."  
  
Wakka grinned and brushed his nose across hers. "I only play great when you're watchin' Kenz." He smiled down at their daughter, pride and love welling in his heart. "And you two angel."  
  
Kenzi laughed softly, resting her head on her husbands shoulder. Her mind wandered as she surveyed the group of friends around them, Tidus holding Yuna, Rikku laughing at something Jassu told her as he held Botta in a headlock, Datto and Keepa talking animatedly to an excited Letty. Her family. She loved them all so much. She wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for them. And for Wakka. Sighing, she tilted her head up to meet his liquid amber gaze. "I love you Wakka," she whispered.  
  
"Mmm." His arm tightened around her. "I love you too Kenzi. You got the next game right?" He asked, referring to their agreement that Kenzi would play every other game, switching places with him. It was, in a way, an double coaching deal that they both enjoyed and agreed with. Except now.  
  
"Actually, I can't," Kenzi said, a secretive smile curving her lips.  
  
"What? Why not?"  
  
She laughed softly, turning to look over the group of Aurochs before returning her laughing gray/blue eyes to Wakka. "So which one of them do you suppose would like to be a godfather next?" 


End file.
